UC-NRI 


SB    17 


NATURE  STUDY 


MADE  EASY 


5HALLOW&CULLEN 


LIBRARY 


UNIVERSITY  OF  .CALIFORNIA. 


Class 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK    •    BOSTON   •    CHICAGO 
ATLANTA   •    SAN    FRANCISCO 

MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  LIMITED 

LONDON   •    BOMBAY   •    CALCUTTA 
MELBOURNE 

THE  MACMILLAN  CO.  OF  CANADA,  LTD. 

TORONTO 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


BY 

EDWARD    B.    SHALLOW,    A.M. 

ASSOCIATE    SUPERINTENDENT   OF    SCHOOLS,    NEW   YORK   CITY 
AND 

WINIFRED    T.    CULLEN 

PRINCIPAL   PUBLIC    SCHOOL    NO.    56,    BROOKLYN,    NEW   YORK    CITY 


Nefo 
THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY 

1909 

All  rights  reserved 


COPYRIGHT,  1908, 
BY  THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY. 


Set  up  and  electrotyped.     Published  March,  1908.    Reprinted 
August,  1908  ;  January,  1909. 


J.  S.  Gushing  Co.  —  Berwick  &  Smith  Co. 
Norwood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


PREFACE 

THE  position  of  Nature  Work  in  the  school  curriculum  is 
established.  It  has  passed  the  experimental  stage.  Its  value 
as  an  educational  factor  is  recognized. 

The  object  in  introducting  "  Nature  Study  Made  Easy  "  into 
the  classroom  is  twofold :  — 

(a)  To  make  easy  for  the  teacher  the  task  of  bringing  the 
child  of  ten  or  eleven  years  of  age  to  realize  some  of  the 
elementary  truths  of  Nature  seen  in  the  world  of  plants 
around  him. 

(&)  To  make  intelligible  to  the  child,  by  exercising  his 
observation  and  exciting  his  interest,  the  wonderful  lessons 
that  the  Plant  World  daily  unfolds  to  him. 

In  view  of  this  fact  much  illustrative  matter  is  brought 
before  the  class.  Pupils  are  directed  to  gather  their  own 
materials  and  bring  them  to  the  classroom,  to  work  out  and 
record  their  own  experiments,  to  grow  their  own  plants.  This 
puts  a  personal  element  into  the  study. 

The  lessons  are  given  in  a  simple,  pleasing  manner ;  a 
second  lesson,  in  different  form,  sometimes  following  the  first, 
to  impress  or  fix  it. 

212V439 


vi  PREFACE 


The  lessons,  though  grouped  according  to  the  subjects  to 
which  they  relate,  may  be  given  in  any  order ;  the  lesson  on 
Mushrooms,  for  example,  at  a  season  when  mushrooms  can  be 
easily  obtained,  and  the  lesson  on  Trees  either  in  Spring  or 
Autumn,  as  the  teacher  wishes  to  study  them  under  the  Spring 
or  Fall  aspect. 

At  the  end  of  each  lesson  is  a  suggestion  for  an  oral  or 
a  written  language  test.  This  may  be  given  in  the  form  of  a 
composition  written  under  two  or  more  topics,  or  in  para- 
graphs answering  two  or  more  questions.  This,  of  course,  can 
be  omitted  at  the  teacher's  discretion,  but  it  is  a  valuable  aid 
in  fixing  the  matter  in  the  child's  mind. 

The  poetical  selection,  which  accompanies  most  of  the  les- 
sons, should  be  read  either  by  the  teacher  or  a  pupil,  in  con- 
nection with  the  lesson  to  which  it  relates. 

As  an  Appendix,  several  "  Notes  of  Lessons "  are  given 
to  aid  the  teacher  in  placing  intelligently  before  the  class 
the  matter  to  be  studied.  These  lessons  are  given  accord- 
ing to  the  most  approved  method  —  in  the  Herbartian  style, 
and  the  inductive  form.  The  method  and  illustration  intro- 
duce the  matter  to  be  presented,  and  the  facts  and  inferences 
to  be  elucidated  and  deduced. 

Feeling  the  need  of  such  Nature  Work,  especially  in  the 
fourth  year  of  school  life,  these  lessons  were  prepared  and  used 
in  a  New  York  City  school.  They  were  thoroughly  tested  by 
experimental  use  in  the  classroom.  After  two  years  of  trial 


PREFACE  vii 


the  results  obtained  have  been  so  gratifying  as  to  warrant  the 
preparation  of  the  work  in  permanent  form.  It  is  therefore 
sent  forward  with  the  approval  of  those  who  have  tested  it. 

The  authors  are  indebted  to  the  kindness  of  the  publishers 
named  below  for  the  use  of  the  various  poems  which  follow  and 
illustrate  the  lessons :  to  Messrs.  G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons,  of  New 
York  and  London,  for  "  Strawberries,"  by  Dora  Read  Goodale, 
from  her  volume  "  Apple  Blossoms  "  ;  to  The  Century  Company 
for  "  Winged  Seeds,"  by  Helen  Gray  Cone  (from  St.  Nicholas) ; 
to  Messrs.  L.  C.  Page  and  Company  for  "  The  Maple,"  from 
"Poems,"  by  Charles  G.  D.  Roberts;  to  Messrs.  Small,  Maynard 
and  Company  for  "  Fern  Song,"  from  "  Poems,"  by  John  B. 
Tabb ;  to  Messrs.  Lothrop,  Lee  and  Shepard  Company  for  "  The 
Maple  Tree's  Children,"  from  "  Jimmy  Boy,"  by  the  late  Abby 
Morton  Diaz ;  to  Mr.  Fred  Lewis  Pattee  for  "  In  the  Sugar 
Camp " ;  to  The  Macmillan  Company  for  "  The  Rose,"  and 
"May,"  by  Christina  G.  Rossetti.  "Suppose,"  and  "The  Ven- 
turesome Buds,"  by  Alice  Gary ;  "  Talking  in  their  Sleep,"  by 
Edith  M.  Thomas;  and  "'The  Tree,"  from  their  edition  of 
"  Arne,"  by  Bjornstjerne  Bjornson,  are  used  by  special  arrange- 
ment with  Houghton,  Mifflin  and  Company,  the  authorized 
publishers  of  the  authors  named. 

FEBRUARY,  1908. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

I. 

NEEDS  OF  PLANTS.    PART  I.     . 



1 

Poem  :  Lily  and  the  Rose     . 

Selected 

3 

n. 

NEEDS  OF  PLANTS.    PART  II.     . 

..... 

4 

Poern  :  The  Rose  

Christina  G.  Rossetli     . 

6 

in. 

THE  PLANT  THAT  GREW  IN  WATER 

.         . 

7 

Poem  :  The  Green  Things  Growing 

D.  M.  Mulock      . 

8 

IV. 

How  A  RED  GERANIUM  GREW 

. 

9 

Poem  :  The  Use  of  Flowers 

Mary  Howitt 

.      11 

V. 

13 

Poem  :  Spring  is  Coming 

Mary  Howitt 

.       15 

VI. 

THE  Two  SEEDS       

17 

VII. 

THE  GERANIUM  AND  ITS  SEED 

..... 

.      20 

VIII. 

99 

Poem  :  Woodman,  spare  that  Tree 

George  P.  Morris 

.      24 

IX. 

LEAVES,  SEEDS,  STEMS     .... 

25 

Poem  :  The  Voice  of  the  Grass     . 

Sarah  Roberts  Boyle 

.       27 

X. 

28 

Christina  G.  Rossetti 

.      33 

XI. 

HERBS,  SHRUBS,  AND  TREES  COMPARED 

.      33 

Poem  :  The  Venturesome  Buds    . 

Alice  Cary   . 

.      36 

XII. 

LIFE  HISTORY  OF  A  STRAWBERRY 

• 

.      37 

Poem  :  Strawberries      .... 

Dora  Read  Goodale 

.      39 

XIII. 

LIFE  HISTORY  OF  A  MAPLE    . 

. 

.      40 

Poem  :  Winged  Seeds   .... 

Helen  Gray  Cone          • 

.      42 

XIV. 

43 

Poem  :  The  Maple         .... 

Charles  G.  D.  Roberts  . 

.      45 

ix 


CONTENTS 


Fred  Lewis  Pattee 
George  Cooper 
H.  F.  Charley 
Mary  Ho  wit t 


LESSON 

XV.     THE  SUGAR  MAPLE     . 

Poem  :  In  the  Sugar  Camp 
XVI.     THE  MAPLE  TREE'S  CHILDREN  . 
Poem*:  October's  Party     . 

XVII.     THE  OAK 

Poem  :  The  Brave  Old  Oak      . 
XVIII.     LIFE  HISTORY  OF  AN  OAK 
Poem  :  The  Oak  Tree 

XIX.    TOM'S  ACORN 

XX.     KINDS  OF  OAK  TREES 

Poem  :  Song  —  The  Tender  Beech  and 

the  Sapling  Oak          .         .     Thomas  Love  Peacock  . 

XXI.    TOM'S  LOG 

XXII.     LIFE  HISTORY  OF  A  PEACH 

XXIII.  THE  PEACH  TREE'S  STORY 

XXIV.  LIFE  HISTORY  OF  A  PLUM 

Poem  :  The  Tree       .         .         .         .     Bjornsljerne  Bjornson  . 
XXV.     LIFE  STORY  OF  AN  APPLE         ........ 

XXVI.     THE  APPLE  TREE 

Poem :  The  Planting  of  the  Apple  Tree   William  Cullen  Bryant 

XXVII.     EVERGREEN  TREES 

XXVIII.     THE  PINE  TREE  FAMILY.     PART  I 

XXIX.     THE  PINE  TREE  FAMILY.     PART  II.         ....... 

XXX.     FORESTS  AND  How  TO  PRESERVE  THEM  ...... 

Poem:  Talking  in  Their  Sleep          .     Edith  M.  Thomas , 
XXXI.     FLOWERLESS  PLANTS  —  FERNS,  MOSSES,  MUSHROOMS 

Poem :  Suppose          .         .         .         .     Alice  Gary    .         .         . 

XXXII.    MOSSES 

Poem  :  The  Moss       ....    William  Wordsworth,  adapted 
XXXIII.    THE  MOUNTAIN  FERN  AND  THE  MOORLAND  Moss. 


PACJE 

45 
48 
49 
51 
52 
54 
55 
57 
58 
61 

63 
63 

68 
70 
72 
73 

74 

77 
79 
81 
83 
86 
88 
90 
91 
94 
95 


98 


CONTENTS  xi 


l.ESROV                                                                                                                                                                                                                    V  PAGE 

XXXIV.     FERNS 100 

Poem :  Fern  Song    ....    John  B.  Tabb       .        .        .102 

XXXV.     KINDS  OF  FEHNS   ' 102 

XXXVI.     LICHENS ,.105 

XXXVII.     MUSHROOMS 106 

Poem  :  The  Mushroom  and  the  Oak     G.  K 109 

NOTES   OF   LESSONS 

THE  FLOWER .111 

LEAVES 114 

THE  PLANT 115 

THE  SWEET  PEA 119 

STEMS 121 

NKEDS  OF  PLANTS 123 

PROPAGATION  OF  PLANTS  ..........  125 

PROPAGATION  BY  RUNNERS .  127 

PROPAGATION  BY  SLIPS 129 

FERNS 131 

MOSSES 133 

MUSHROOMS .  135 


NATURE   STUDY  MADE  EASY 


LESSON  I 

NEEDS  OF  PLANTS:    PART   I 

"Oh,  Mary,  what  a  beautiful  flower !"  cried  little  Nellie  Brown, 
as  Mary  Hooper  came  into  the  room,  .holding  aloft  a  delicate 
pink  rose.  " Where  did  you  get 
it?" 

"My  Aunt  Susan  gave  it  to 
mo,"  said  Mary;  "she  had  just 
brought  it  from  her  garden.  She 
gave  one  just  as  pretty  to  Lucy.' 

"Has  it  any  perfume?"  asked 
Nellie. 

"Yes,"  replied  Mary;  "smell 
it,"  and  she  held  the  beautiful 
pink  flower  before  Nellie. 

"How  sweet!"    said  Nellie.     "What  will  you  do  with  it?" 

"Oh,  I  am  going  to  put  it  at  once  in  water.     You  know  cut 
flowers  cannot  live  without  food,  and  water  is  their  food." 

So  saying,  she  filled  a  vase  with  clear  water,  and  placed  her 
pretty  flower  in  it. 

B  1 


NATURE   STUDY  MADE  EASY 


"Do  you  notice,  Nellie,  how  carefully  Aunt  Susan  cut  off  that 
rose?  See  the  slant  in  the  stem.  She  did  that,  she  told  me, 
because  it  injures  the  delicate  little  cells  to  break  them  roughly. 
She  said  it  was  always  better  to  cut  them  obliquely,  like  this/7 
and  Mary  showed  the  lower  part  of  the  stem  to  Nellie.  "It  gives 
a  bigger  surface  to  draw  up  the  water,  for  stems  need  all  the  nourish- 
ment they  can  get  when  they  are  cut  from  the  parent  bush." 

"I  am  glad  you  told  me  that,"  said  Nellie,  "I  shall  always  cut 
flowers,  hereafter,  instead  of  breaking  them." 

"How  pretty  it  looks  in  the  glass  there,  holding  up  its  head,  as 
though  it  wished  to  say,  'Good  morning,  I  am  glad  you  like  me.' 

Good  morning,  pretty  rose,"  said  Mary;  "I 
do  like  you,  but  I  am  going  now  to  have 
a  run;  I  will  come  back  again  to  look  at 
you."  Then  the  two  girls  ran  merrily  into 
the  garden. 

"  Do  you  know,"  said  Nellie,  "  I  can  never 
tell  which  I  like  best  among  flowers.  Roses 
are  beautiful,  but  lilies,  too,  are  so  graceful 
and  spotless.  It  is  hard  to  decide  between 
them." 

"That  is  true,"  said  Mary.  "That  reminds  me  of  a  pretty  poem 
I  once  heard  recited  in  school. 

"There  were  two  little  girls,  who  were  fond  of  flowers;  one 
loved  the  lily,  and  one  loved  the  rose,  and  they  could  not  de- 
cide which  they  liked  best.  Ruth  said  she  loved  the  rose,  and 


NATURE   STUDY  MADE  EASY 


Edith  said  she  loved  the  lily;  so  they  each  brought  their  favorite 
flower  to  school  and  asked  their  teacher  which  she  thought  was 
prettier.  The  teacher  could  not  choose  between  them.  'The 
blushing  red  rose  in  all  its  beauty  is  the  emblem  of  love/  said  the 
teacher,  'while  the  peerless  lily  in  all  its  grace  is  an  emblem  of 
purity.  I  cannot  decide;  let  us  join  them  together,  girls,  where 
the  red  of  the  rose  will  contrast  with  the  snowy  whiteness  of  the 
lily,  and  put  them  in  this  vase.'  Then  she  taught  the  girls  this 
poem,  which  they  recited  in  school.77 


The  Lily  and  the  Rose 

Ruth.      "  Tell  me,  sister,  tell  to  me 

Which  the  flower  most  dear  to  thee. 

Does  the  lily  or  the  rose 

Most  to  thee  its  charms  disclose  ?  " 

Edith.     "  I  would  twine  the  lily  fair 
'Mid  the  tresses  of  my  hair 
And  I  would  my  heart  should  be 
The  emblem  of  such  purity." 

Ruth.     "  I,  the  blooming  rose  would  twine, 
Grace  and  beauty  should  be  mine 
And  the  power  to  impart 
Fragrant  incense  round  the  heart." 

Edith.     "  Why  I  love  the  lily  bell 

Is  because  its  blooms  can  tell 
Innocence  and  truth  are  powers 
In  this  lovely  world  of  flowers." 


NATURE   STUDY   MADE   EASY 


Ruth.     "  Why  the  blooming  rose  I  prize 
Is  that  nothing  'neath  the  skies 
Blooms  to  which  a  power  is  given 
Greater  than  this  gift  of  heaven." 

Edith     "Twine  the  lily  with  the  rose, 
and      Still  as  emblems,  they'll  disclose 
Ruth.     Truth  and  beauty,  peace  and  love, 

Sent  to  earth  from  heaven  above." 

—  SELECTED. 


LESSON  II 

NEEDS   OF   PLANTS:     PART   II 

"Come,  Susan,  come,  Alice,  it  is  time  for  tea;  Ned.and  Tom  are 
here,  and  mamma  says  the  table  is  ready." 

"Oh,  Mary,  may  I  bring  your  pretty  pink  rose  to  put  on  the 
table  for  our  tea  party?"  asked  Louisa,  and  so  saying,  she  placed 
the  vase  with  the  freshly  cut  rose  on  the  center  mat. 

"Oh,  is  that  your  rose?"  asked  Lucy,  who  had  just  come  in. 
"How  lovely  it  looks.  I  must  run  and  fetch  mine."  She  returned 
in  a  few  minutes  with  a  sad  face,  holding  in  her  hand  the  now 
faded  flower  that  had  been  so  beautiful  in  the  morning.  The 
leaves  were  shrunken,  the  color  had  faded,  the  stem  was  limp. 

"Why,  what  is  the  matter?"  asked  the  children;  "is  your 
rose  dead?" 

"I  do  not  know.  I  left  it  on  the  window  sill,  and  how  different 
\t  is  from  Mary's." 


NATURE   STUDY  MADE   EASY 


"Oh,  that  is  because  you  did  not  put  it  in  water.  Plants  must 
have  constant  food  to  live,  just  as  we  must  have.  The  food  of  the 
cut  plant  is  water. " 

"Do  all  flowers 
require  water  to 
live?"  asked  Edith. 

"Yes,  cut  flow- 
ers do,  but  grow- 
ing flowers  require 
more.  They  want 
soil,  sunshine,  and 
water.  This  is  one 
reason  why  cut  flow- 
ers fade  so  quickly. 
They  cannot  get 
from  the  water  all 
the  nourishment 
they  want,  while 
the  growing  bush 
can  get  food  from 
the  soil.  Soil  holds 
much  water,  and 

the  water  contains  many  dissolved  minerals,  like  chalk  and 
potash,  that  serve  to  feed  the  plant.  Then  it  must  have  rain 
water  as  well  as  soil  water,  and  we  must  remember  that  sunlight 
is  necessary." 


NATURE   STUDY  MADE  EASY 


"Yes,  that  is  true/'  said  Tom.  "Do  you  remember,  Fred, 
those  potatoes  that  sprouted  last  year  in  our  cellar  ?  The  sprouts 
were  white,  but  when  we  brought  them  up  and  put  them  in  the 
sunlight,  they  turned  green." 

"Then  is  that  why  celery  is  always  white?"  asked  Lucy. 
"Please  pass  me  some.  I  will  try  to  see  if  I  can  taste  any  sun- 
light on  it." 

"  I  think  the  sun  must  help  a  great  deal  to  give  the 
taste  to  the  things  we  eat,"  said  Tom,  "  f or  we  have  to  put 
a  great  deal  of  salt  on  celery  to  give  it  flavor." 

"Well,  I  shall  remember  in  the  future  to  give  a  plant  what  it 
needs,  and  when  I  get  another  rose  I  will  not  starve  it,"  said  Lucy. 


APPLICATION 


What  have  you  learned  from  this  story? 
Plants  need  light,  soil,  and  air  to  grow. 
The  green  in  the  plant  is  made  under  the  sunlight. 
Plants  grown  away  from  the  sunlight  are  yellow  or  white  and  sickly. 
Cut  plants  need  water  to  keep  them  alive. 

Flowers  should  be  cut,  not   broken,   because  breaking   destroys   the 
tiny  food  cells. 

The  Rose 

The  Rose  is  Love's  own  flower,  and 

Love's-  no  less 

The  Lily's  tenderness. 
Then  half  their  dignity  must  Roses  yield 

To  Lilies  of  the  field ! 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


Nay,  diverse  notes  make  up  true  harmony; 

All-fashioned  loves  agree : 
Love  wears  the  Lily's  whiteness,  and 

Love  glows 

In  the  deep-hearted  Rose. 

—  CHRISTINA  G.  ROSSETTI. 


LESSON   III 

THE  PLANT  THAT  GREW  IN  WATER 

What  would  this  world  be  without  flowers?  How  readily 
they  grow !  Only  a  little  sunshine,  a  little  brown  mold,  and  a  few 
drops  of  moisture,  and  they  bloom  and  fill  our  homes  with  color. 
Some  plants  do  not  require  even  these  three  things.  Did  you 
ever  see  a  plant  that  could  grow  without  soil?  Once  a  little 
girl  whom  I  knew  heard  her  teacher  tell  in  class  that  she  knew  of 
a  plant  which  would  grow  without  mold.  The  teacher  told  the 
class  to  find  it  during  vacation.  The  little  girl  looked  around 
during  vacation,  and  one  day  in  September  she  brought  to 
school  a  few  sprays  of  tradescantia.  Some  people  call  it  inch- 
plant.  I  wonder  why?  Perhaps  because  the  leaves  grow  about 
an  inch  apart.  Some  call  it  the  wandering  plant.  I  suppose  that 
is  because  it  grows  so  rapidly. 

The  girl  brought  some  sprays  of  the  plant  to  school  and  put 
them  in  a  bottle,  and  the  teacher  placed  the  bottle  high  up 
where  all  the  class  could  watch  it.  They  looked  each  day  to  see 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


what  would  happen,  and  very  soon  they  were  delighted  to  see  little 
white  silky  roots  growing  out  from  the  end  of  the  stem.  These 
roots  pushed  down  into  the  clear  water,  and 
soon  the  class  noticed  silky  threads  growing 
on  the  roots.  These  were  the  little  root  hairs 
which  fed  the  rootlets  with  water,  and  these 
rootlets  fed  the  stem  of  the  tradescantia. 
They  watched  it  all  through  October,  and 
counted  the  new  leaves  that  appeared.  In 
the  early  morning  the  sun  shone  on  it,  and 
the  pretty  green  leaves  lifted  up  their  heads 
to  ca'tch  his  rays.  The  children  greatly  en- 
joyed watching  it  grow,  and  many  of  the  girls 
who  found  the  plant  growing  in  places  near 
the  school  also  planted  it  in  water. 

It  was  very  interesting  to  see  how  roots 
formed  in  water,  and  how  willing  they  were 
to  do  their  work,  and  make  the  leaves  grow. 
Could    you    not    gather    some    of    these 

CUTTING  OF  WANDERING 

PLANT  pretty  sprays  and  plant  them  in  water? 


CLASS  WORK 

Tell  the  story  of  how  the  tradescantia,  or  inch-plant,  grew  in  water. 
Find  a  spray  and  put  it  in  water.  Watch  it  grow.  Notice  the  rootlets 
growing.  What  color  is  each  rootlet  ?  What  is  the  use  of  the  root  hairs 
to  the  little  rootlets  ? 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


9 


The  Green  Things  Growing 

Oh,  the  green  things  growing,  the  green  things  growing, 
The  faint  sweet  smell  of  green  things  growing ! 
I  should  like  to  live,  whether  I  smile  or  grieve, 
Just  to  watch  the  life  of  my  green  things  growing. 

Oh,  the  fluttering  and  the  pattering  of  those  green  things  growing, 

How  they  talk  each  to  each,  when  none  of  us  are  knowing; 

In  the  wonderful  white  of  the  weird  moonlight, 

Or  the  dim  dreamy  dawn  when  the  cocks  are  crowing. 

—  D.  M.  MULOCK. 


LESSON   IV 


HOW  A  RED  GERANIUM   GREW 


They  were  glorious  red  blossoms 
that  appeared  on  Aunt  Susan's  gera- 
nium plant.  There  were  five  petals 
of  a  bright  color  on  each  corolla; 
they  grew  out  from  a  little  green 
calyx;  formed  also  of  five  sepals. 
She  was  very  proud  of  the  blossoms, 
and  Tom  and  I  often  admired  them. 

It  was  the  month  of  August,  and 
Aunt  Susan  told  us  that  we  might 
have  a  geranium  of  our  own,  if  we 
would  promise  to  take  care  of  it. 
She  said  she  would  give  us  each  a 


AUNT  SUSAN'S  GERANIUM 


10 


NATURE   STUDY   MADE  EASY 


GERANIUM  SLIP 


"slip"  when  she  cut  it  down  for  the  winter. 
One  day  in  early  September  she  cut  from 
the  strong,  healthy  plant  two  slips.  Tom 
and  I  stood  by  and  watched  her  as  she 
slipped  off  the  young  shoots.  First  she  pre- 
pared a  flower  pot.  She  put  in  several  small 
pieces  of  china  to  form  a  drain  and  cover 
the  round  hole  at  the  bottom  of  the  pot 
and  she  almost  filled  it  with  loose,  fine  mold.  Next  she  pre- 
pared a  place  for  the  slip  by  pushing  down  into  the  mold  a  round 
stick.  Then  she  put  in  the  new  slip,  and  pressed  the  soil  tightly 
round  it  to  hold  it  firmly,  and  to  touch  it  at  every  point.  After 
watering  it,  she  cut  off  the  large  leaves  near  the  bottom  of  the  slip. 
Tom  guessed  the  reason. 

"It  is  because  the  leaves  would  send  off  more  water  than 
the  plant  could  take  up  so  soon,"  said  he. 

" Quite  right,"  replied  Aunt  Susan.     "The  plant  wants  help 
at  first  until  it  has  taken  root." 

We  placed  it  in  a  shady,  dark,  but  warm 
place  and  left  it  there.  In  about  a  week  we 
knew  the  little  slip  had  begun  to  form  root- 
lets, for  the  leaves  held  themselves  up  to  the 
light,  and  a  tiny  new  leaf  was  bursting  from 
a  bud.  We  brought  it  into  the  sunlight  and 
all  winter  we  watched  it.  It  did  not  make 
many  new  leaves,  but  it  looked  healthy.  THE  SLIP  GROWING 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY  11 

In  the  spring  it  had  many  new  leaves,  and  one  day  in  May 
Tom  discovered  a  flower  bud.  Yes,  it  was  a  red  one!  We 
watered  it  more  frequently  now,  for  we  know  a 
plant  requires  much  water  when  it  blossoms.  Our 
care  was  rewarded,  for  a  few  days  later  the  buds 
opened,  and  we  had  a  spray  of  lovely  red  geraniums 
with  six  flowers  on  it,  just  like  Aunt  Susan's.  Other 
buds  came  and  more  red  flowers  grew.  They  bloomed 
all  summer,  and  in  the  fall  we  did  as  Aunt  Susan  had  done. 
'We  slipped  off  six  healthy  shoots  and  gave  them  to  our  friends. 

What  do  you  think  they  did  with  those  shoots  ?     What  would 
you  have  done,  if  you  had  received  them  ? 

LANGUAGE  LESSON  AND  APPLICATION 

Cut  a  geranium  slip  and  plant  it. 

Tell  the  story  of  its  planting  and  growth. 

Which  slips  are  chosen  ? 

When  is  the  plant  slipped  ?     Why  ? 

Why  is  it  at  first  put  in  a  shady  place  ? 

Why  do  geraniums  turn  toward  the  light  ? 

What  would  happen  if  the  geranium  received  no  sunlight  ? 

The  Use  of  Flowers 

God  might  have  bade  the  earth  bring  forth 
Enough  for  great  and  small, 
The  oak  tree,  and  the  cedar  tree, 
Without  a  flower  at  all. 


12  NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 

He  might  have  made  enough,  enough, 
For  every  want  of  ours; 
For  luxury,  medicine,  and  toil, 
And  yet  have  made  no  flowers. 

The  ore  within  the  mountain  mine 
Requireth  none  to  grow, 
Nor  doth  it  need  the  lotus  flower 
To  make  the  river  flow. 

The  clouds  might  give  abundant  rain, 
The  nightly  dews  might  fall, 
And  the  herb  that  keepeth  life  in  man 
Might  yet  have  drunk  them  all. 

Then  wherefore,  wherefore  were  they  made 
All  dyed  with  rainbow  light, 
All  fashion'd  with  supremest  grace, 
Upspringing  day  and  night  — 

Springing  in  valleys  green  and  low, 
And  on  the  mountains  high, 
And  in  the  silent  wilderness, 
Where  no  man  passeth  by  ? 

Our  outward  life  requires  them  not, 
Then  wherefore  had  they  birth  ? 
To  minister  delight  to  man, 
To  beautify  the  earth; 

To  whisper  hope  —  to  comfort  man 
Whene'er  his  faith  is  dim ; 
For  whoso  careth  for  the  flowers 
Will  care  much  more  for  Him ! 

—  MARY  Ho  WITT. 


NATURE   STUDY   MADE   EASY 


13 


LESSON  V 

SEEDS 

A  seed  is  a  wonderful  little  thing.  It  is  often  very  tiny,  and  yet 
it  contains  within  itself  the  beginning  or  germ  of  every  part  of  the 
plant.  There  are  the  tiny  root,  the  tiny  stem,  the  tiny  leaves,  all 
so  small  that  we  can  hardly  see  them.  The  mighty  oak  is  con- 
tained in  the  shell  of  a  tiny  acorn.  The  great  maple  is  hidden  in 
the  wing  of  the  maple  seed. 

Just  drop  a  seed  in  the  ground.  Give  it  warmth,  air,  and 
moisture,  and  then  it  has  all  it  needs  for  growth.  Some  seeds,  like 
the  orange  and  banana,  require  more  warmth 
than  others,  and  will  only  grow  to  perfection 
in  warm  countries.  When  the  seed  becomes 
warm  enough,  it  absorbs  the  moisture, 
swells,  and  bursts  its  tough  coat,  and  soon 
the  baby  plant  sends  down  a  root  into  the 
ground  and  a  stem  into  the  air. 

Seeds  are  divided  into  two  great  classes. 
One  has  inside  of  the  seed  coat  only  one 
seed  lobe,  or  cotyledon,  like  the  wheat.  The 
other  has  inside  the  seed  coat  two  seed 
lobes,  or  cotyledons,  like  the  pea  or  bean. 
If  we  soak  a  bean  in  water  and  cause  it  to 
swell  and  thus  burst  the  outer  coat,  we  will  A  SPROUTING  PEA 


14 


NATURE   STUDY  MADE  EASY 


PARTS  OF  COMMON 
BEAN 


find  inside  two  lobes,  or  cotyledons,  between  which  lies  the 
baby  plant.  These  cotyledons  are  thick  and  fleshy,  and  are 
meant  to  feed  the  baby  plant  until  it  has 
green  leaves  and  roots  of  its  own,  and  can  feed 
itself.  The  plants  with  one  cotyledon  are 
called  monocotyledons;  plants  with  two  cotyle- 
dons are  called  dicotyledons. 

Have  you  ever  noticed  how  the  lobes  seem  to  shrivel  up  as  soon 
as  the  tiny  green  leaves  appear?  The  nourishment  has  all  been 
used  up  by  the  baby  plant.  That  is  the  way  all  dicotyledons  com- 
mence growth. 

Now,  if  we  soak  a  grain  of  wheat  in  water  and  cause  it  to  swell 
and  burst  its  outer  coat,  we  will  find,  instead 
of  two  fleshy  cotyledons,  a  mass  of  starchy 

white  substance  all 
contained  in  the  one 
cotyledon.  This  coty- 
ledon is  meant  to  feed 
the  baby  plant  until 
it  has  green  leaves 
and  can  feed  itself. 
That  is  the  way  all 
monocotyledons  com- 

GERMINATION  OF  COMMON  BEANS  mence     STOWth. 

Again,  when  we  plant  the  bean  plant,  we  notice  it  sends  up 
two  tiny  seed  leaves  which  correspond  to  the  two  cotyledons. 


NATURE   STUDY  MADE  EASY 


15 


The  wheat  plant  sends  up  only  one  long  green  leaf  which 
corresponds  to  the  one  cotyledon.  All  grains  grow  like  this, 
such  as  wheat,  barley,  oats,  and  rye.  The 
leaves,  sheathe  each  other  instead  of  growing 
out  from  the  stem  as  the  beans,  peas,  and  mus- 
tard seeds  do.  If  you  want  to  try  this  for  your- 
self, just  plant  some  wheat  seeds  and  some  mus- 
tard seeds  in  a  wet  sponge,  and  watch  them  for 
a  couple  of  weeks.  The  wheat  will  always  send 
up  one  leaf,  and  the  mustard  seed  will  send  up 
two.  Or  you  can  plant  them  on  wet  flannel, 
or  wet  sawdust.  Keep  them  in  the  dark  and 
warmth  during  the  time  they  are  germinating.  GRAIN  OF  WHEAT 

LANGUAGE  LESSON 

What  is  a  cotyledon  ? 

Why  is  a  bean  a  dicotyledon  ? 

Why  is  the  wheat  plant  a  monocotyledon? 

Draw  a  bean  commencing  growth. 

Draw  a  wheat  plant  commencing  growth. 

What  do  all  seeds  require  for  growth  ? 

Describe  how  a  bean  grows. 

Tell  what  you  did  to  make  a  bean  grow. 


Spring  is  Coming 

Spring,  where  are  you  tarrying  now  ? 
Why  are  you  so  long  unfelt  ? 
Winter  went  a  month  ago, 
When  the  snows  began  to  melt. 


16          NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 

I  am  coming,  little  maiden, 
With  the  pleasant  sunshine  laden, 
With  the  honey  for  the  bee, 
With  the  blossom  for  the  tree, 
With  the  flower  and  with  the  leaf. 
Till  I  come  the  time  is  brief. 

I  am  coming,  I  am  coming, 
Hark  !  the  little  bee  is  humming; 
See,  the  lark  is  soaring  high 
In  the  bright  and  sunny  sky; 
And  the  gnats  are  on  the  wing. 
Little  maiden,  now  is  spring. 

See  the  yellow  catkins  cover 
All  the  slender  willows  over; 
And  on  mossy  banks  so  green 
Starlike  primroses  are  seen  ; 
And,  their  clustering  leaves  below, 
White  and  purple  violets  grow. 

Hark  !  the  little  lambs  are  bleating, 
And  the  cawing  rooks  are  meeting 
In  the  elms,  a  noisy  crowd ; 
And  all  birds  are  singing  loud; 
And  the  first  white  butterfly 
In  the  sun  goes  flitting  by. 

Little  maiden,  look  around  thee ! 
Green  and  flowery  fields  surround  thee; 
Every  little  stream  is  bright; 
All  the  orchard  trees  are  white; 
And  each  small  and  waving  shoot 
Has  for  thee  sweet  flower  or  fruit. 


NATURE   STUDY   MADE   EASY  17 

Turn  thy  eyes  to  earth  and  heaven; 

God  for  thee  the  spring  hath  given, 

Taught  the  birds  their  melodies, 

Clothed  the  earth  and  cleared  the  skies; 

For  thy  pleasure  or  thy  food, 

Pour  thy  soul  in  gratitude ; 

So  may'st  thou  'mid  blessings  dwell. 

Little  maiden,  fare  thee  well. 

—  MARY  HOWITT. 


LESSON  VI 

THE  TWO   SEEDS 

Long,  long  ago,  two  seeds  lay  beside  each  other  in  the  earth, 
waiting.  It  was  cold  and  dull,  and  to  pass  away  the  time  they 
entered  into  conversation. 

"What  are  you  going  to  be?"  asked  the  smaller  seed. 

"I  am  not  quite  sure,"  answered  the  other. 

"I  think  I  should  like  to  be  a  rose,"  said  the  first  seed.  "Every 
one  loves  the  rose.  There  is  nothing  more  beautiful  than  a  glori- 
ous red  rose." 

"It's  all  right,"  replied  the  second  seed,  and  that  was  all  it 
could  say,  for  somehow  it  did  not  quite  know  what  it  would  be. 
So  they  were  silent  for  a  few  days. 

Then  the  first  seed  spoke  again.  "How  warm  I  feel !  I  think 
spring  must  be  here.  Some  one  has  poured  water  on  the  soil 
around  me.  I  am  swelling!  I  am  growing!  Good-by!" 


18  NATURE   STUDY   MADE  EASY 

"Good-by,"  replied  the  other,  and  he  lay  still  and  waited 
patiently. 

The  first  seed  grew  and  grew,  pushing  its  head  straight  up 
through  the  soil,  till  at  last  it  felt  that  it  was  in  the  open  air  and 
could  breathe. 

What  a  delicious  breath  it  was!  Rather  cold,  but  most  re- 
freshing !  It  could  see  nothing,  for  it  was  not  a  flower  yet.  The 
fairies  say  that  plants  never  see  till  their  eyes  come  —  that  is,  till 
they  open  their  blossoms  and  are  really  flowers. 

So  it  grew  and  grew,  and  kept  its  head  up  steadily.  It  wanted 
to  see  the  sky,  and  leave  the  earth  behind  and  beneath  it.  But 
somehow  or  other,  it  could  not  tell  why,  it  felt  much  inclined  to 
droop. 

At  length  it  opened  its  eyes.  It  was  morning,  and  the  sky  was 
over  its  head.  But,  alas !  It  was  not  a  rose  —  only  a  tiny  white 
flower. 

It  felt  much  inclined  to  hang  down  its  head  and  cry.  It  tried 
hard  to  open  its  eyes,  and  to  hold  its  head  upright,  and  to  look 
full  at  the  sky. 

"I  will  be  a  Star  of  Bethlehem,  at  least/'  said  the  flower  to 
itself. 

But  its  heart  felt  very  heavy,  and  a  cold  wind  rushed  over  it, 
and  bowed  it  down  toward  the  earth. 

There  was  no  other  flower  in  sight,  and  our  little  friend  felt 
lonely,  for  it  saw  that  the  time  of  the  singing  of  birds  had  not 
come,  and  snow  covered  the  land. 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


19 


It  half  closed  its  eyes  in  terror  and  dismay  at  its  loneliness. 
Just  at  that  minute  it  remembered  what  the  other  seed  said,  and 
so  it  repeated:  "It's  all  right.  I  will  be  what  I  can." 

So  it  bent  to  the  wind,  and  drooped  its  head  to  the  earth,  and 
looked  on  the  snow. 

Then  the  wind  ceased,  and  the 
cold  passed  away  and  the  snow 
sparkled  like  diamonds. 

The  flower  knew  then  that  it  be- 
longed to  the  snow,  and  its  name 
was  Snowdrop.  So  it  said  once 
more,  "It  is  all  right,"  and  then  it 
waited  and  hung  its  head  after  its 
nature. 

*  *  *  *  *  * 

One  day  a  pale,  sad-looking  little 
girl,  with  thin  face  and  large  blue 
eyes,  came  across  the  path  where 
the  flower  grew.  She  spied  the 
pretty  Snowdrop,  and  joyously  said, 
flower,  how  glad  I  am  to  see  you." 

She  stooped  and  picked  it.  The  Snowdrop  rested  lightly  on  her 
hand.  It  gave  joy  to  the  pale  girl.  What  a  happy  end  for  that 
flower.  In  the  cold  of  winter  it  had  made  a  gleam  of  summer 
for  a  sick  child ! 


A  SNOWDROP 


Ah,  my  little  Snowdrop 


20 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


The  other  seed  had  a  long  time  to  wait.  But  it  grew  by  and 
by  into  a  beautiful  rose.  At  last  it  had  the  highest  honor  ever 
granted  to  a  flower.  What  was  that,  do  you  think  ? 

(Adapted  from  DAVID  ELGINBROD,  by  GEORGE  MACDONALD.) 


LESSON  VII 

THE  GERANIUM  AND  ITS  SEED 

Geraniums  are  well  known  by  their 
pretty  red  and  white  blossoms.  They 
bloom  freely  and  are  hardy  house  plants, 
but  they  do  not  often  bear  seed  in  the 
house.  Indeed,  we  frequently  cut  off  the 
blossoms  to  prevent  their  going  to  seed. 
Wild  geraniums  and  geraniums  growing 
out  of  doors  in  the  summer  time  do  bear 
seeds.  Their  seeds  are  very  curious,  for 
they  cannot  fly  about  like  the  maple  or 
dandelion,  and  they  are  not  often  thrown 
about  like  the  apple  and  peach  seeds,  but 
they  fall  and  bury  themselves  in  the 
ground. 

As  the  geranium  has  five  sepals  to  its 
calyx  and  five  petals  to  its  corolla,  so  it  has  five  curious  seed  pods 
that  grow  close  together  around  a  common  center.  Each  seed 


WILD  GERANIUM 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY  21 

pod  contains  one  seed,  and  when  the  seed  is  ripe,  the  pod  bursts 
open  and  falls  off,  leaving  the  seed  unprotected.  Upon  the  stem- 
like  part  of  the  pod  is  a  long,  feather-like  plume,  which  is  at- 
tached to  the  seed.  When  the  pod  splits,  the  seed  with  this  long 
feather  plume  attached  to  it  is  floated  off  by  the 
wind.  When  dry,  the  plume  curls  up  like  a 
corkscrew,  and  pushes  the  seed  down  in  the  earth 
where  it  has  fallen.  At  the  bottom  of  the  seed 
case  are  some  hairs,  or  bristles,  that  point  back- 
wards, and  hold  the  seed  so  it  cannot  be  pulled 
back  out  of  the  ground. 

If,  after  the  rain,  the  seed  becomes  wet,  the 
plume  straightens  out,  but  it  cannot  be  blown 
away  again,  as  it  is  now  tightly  held  by  the  lower 
hairs,  or  bristles.  Then,  if  the  conditions  are 
favorable,  the  seed  case  will  swell  and  burst,  and 
the  baby  plant  within  will  grow  into  a  new  gera- 
nium, just  as  the  bean  plant  and  the  acorn  grow.  GERANITJM  SEEDS 

We  do  not  often  raise  geraniums  from  seed.  We  generally 
raise  geraniums  from  slips,  as  they  grow  more  quickly  than  from 
seed  and  are  more  healthy. 

If  you  like,  you  can  try  this  for  yourself.  Get  some  ripe  seeds, 
lay  them  on  earth  in  a  flower  pot,  and  watch  the  seeds  bury  them- 
selves. Let  them  dry,  then  moisten  them;  then  let  them  dry 
again  and  watch  how  they  work.  Nature  has  many  beautiful 
lessons  to  teach  us. 


22  NATURE   STUDY   MADE  EASY 


LANGUAGE  LESSON 

1.  Tell  the  story  of  how  the  geranium  seed  grew. 

2.  What  is  the  use  of  the  feather  plume  ? 

3.  What  is  the  use  of  the  bristles  on  the  seed  case  ? 

4.  Are  geraniums  often  raised  from  seed  ? 

5.  Why  are  geraniums  raised  from  slips? 


LESSON  VIII 

ROOTS 

Who  has  not  admired  and  loved  a  rugged  old  oak  that  has 
braved  the  storms  of  many  winters?  I  often  think  it  must  have 
been  a  sturdy  old  oak  tree  that  the  poet  pleaded  for,  when  he  wrote 
the  song,  "Woodman,  spare  that  tree."  What  is  it  that  has  helped 
the  brave  old  oak  to  live  through  wind  and  storm?  Is  it  not  its 
great  strong  roots  that  have  grown  and  strengthened  from  the 
day  they  broke  through  the  acorn  seed  ?  Yes,  the  root  is  the  most 
important  part  of  the  plant. 

First,  it  holds  the  plant  firmly  in  the  ground.  The  wider  the 
branches  of  a  plant  spread  above,  the  farther  the  roots  spread 
below  the  ground.  The  roots  enable  the  plant  to  stand  the  shocks 
of  storms  and  winds. 

Second,  it  carries  food  to  the  plant.  A  plant  cannot  move 
about  like  an  animal  to  search  for  food.  Its  food  must  be  brought 
to  it.  Who  brings  it?  The  root.  All  day  and  all  night  long  the 
little  rootlets  are  busy  pushing  their  tiny  ends  through  the  soil, 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


23 


sucking  up  the  nourishment  that  the  plant  needs.  They  can  only 
take  it  in  the  form  of  liquid,  but  in  the  liquid  is  dissolved  the 
substance  the  plant  wants,  and  this  liquid  the  little  rootlet  sucks 
up. 

Rootlets  are  wise  little  things.  They  never  choose  the  wrong 
liquid.  Wheat  plants  like  potash  and  lime,  and  the  little  wheat 
rootlets  feel  around  for  water  that  has  these  things  in  it.  Then 
they  send  the  water  up  to  the  big  root,  which  sends  it  up  through 
the  stem  to  the  leaves.  Here  it  is  digested,  or  changed  into  just 
what  the  wheat  plant  needs  for  its 
growth.  So  it  is  with  the  rootlets 
on  the  oak  roots. 

Each  little  root  hair  and  each 
little  rootlet  is  like  a  little  mouth 
taking  in  food  for  the  big  tree. 

When  the  roots  of  a  big  tree 
spread  out  wide  in  search  of  water 
food,  the  branches  above  ground  also  spread  out.  Then  the  rain 
which  falls  on  the  branches  drops  off  just  at  the  ends  of  these  great 
spreading  limbs,  and  right  over  the  places  where  the  thirsty  little 
rootlets  are  waiting  to  drink  it  in,  and  so  the  plant  is  fed  from 
above  by  the  air,  sun,  and  leaves,  and  from  below  by  the  great, 
sturdy,  helpful  roots.  Think  of  this  when  next  you  pass  under  a 
tall  oak  tree,  and  look  out  for  its  strong,  sturdy  roots,  which  are 
holding  the  great  tree  in  place.  See  how  they  have  forced  their 
way  through  the  earth  under  your  feet,  displacing  soil  and  stones. 


24  NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


Woodman,  Spare  that  Tree 

Woodman,  spare  that  tree  ! 

Touch  not  a  single  bough; 
In  youth  it  sheltered  me, 

And  I'll  protect  it  now. 
'Twas  my  forefather's  hand 

That  placed  it  near  his  cot ; 
There,  woodman,  let  it  stand, 

Thy  ax  shall  harm  it  not. 

That  old  familiar  tree, 

Whose  glory  and  renown 
Are  spread  o'er  land  and  sea  — 

And  wouldst  thou  hew  it  down  ? 
Woodman,  forbear  thy  stroke 

Cut  not  its  earth-bound  ties; 
Oh !   spare  that  aged  oak 

Now  towering  to  the  skies. 

When  but  an  idle  boy, 

I  sought  its  grateful  shade. 
In  all  their  gushing  joy 

Here,  too,  my  sisters  played. 
My  mother  kissed  me  here, 

My  father  pressed  my  hand  — 
Forgive  this  foolish  tear, 

But  let  that  old  oak  stand. 

My  heartstrings  round  thee  cling, 
Close  as  thy  bark,  old  friend; 

Here  shall  the  wild  bird  sing, 
And  still  thy  branches  bend. 


NATURE   STUDY   MADE  EASY 


25 


Old  tree  !   the  storm  still  brave  ; 

And,  woodman,  leave  the  spot, 
While  I've  a  hand  to  save, 

Thy  ax  shall  harm  it  not. 

—  GEORGE  P.  MORRIS. 


LESSON  IX 

LEAVES,  SEEDS,  STEMS 

In  one  of  our  lessons  we  learned  that  some  plants  grow  from 
one  cotyledon  and  are  called  monocotyledons,  like  the  wheat; 
while  others,  like  the  bean,  grow  from 
two  cotyledons  and  are  called  dicotyle- 
dons. To-day  we  will  find  another  dif- 
ference. When  the  bean  plant  has  grown 
for  a  month  or  more,  and  its  leaves  are 
large  enough,  pull  one  off,  and  hold  it  up 
to  the  light  and  examine  how  the  veins 
run.  You  will  see  a  thick  vein,  or  mid- 
rib, running  down  the  center  of  the  leaf 
from  the  base  to  the  apex;  and  on  each 
side  of  it  you  will  find  smaller  tiny  veins 
running  out,  crossing  and  recrossing  like  a  fish  net.  These  are 
called  net-veined  leaves.  All  dicotyledons  have  leaves  like  these: 
the  apple,  the  plum,  the  strawberry,  and  most  of  our  shade  trees, 
like  the  maple  and  the  oak,  have  net-veined  leaves. 


NET-VEINED  LEAF 


26 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


Now  when  the  wheat  or  grass  plant  has  grown  for  a  month,  and 

its  leaves  are  large  enough,  cut  one  off,  hold  it  to  the  light,  and 
examine  the  way  those  veins  run.  There  seems  to  be 
no  central  vein,  or  midrib,  but  all  the  veins  run  from 
base  to  apex  in  parallel  lines  just  like  threads.  These 
are  called  parallel-veined  leaves.  All  monocotyledons 
have  leaves  like  this :  rye,  wheat,  barley,  and  all  grasses 
are  monocotyledons.  Nearly  all  plants  belonging  to 
the  lily  class,  like  lilies  of  the  valley 
and  the  Easter  lily,  have  parallel- 
veined  leaves. 

If  the  stem  of  an  oak  tree  be  cut 

across,  it  will  show  rings  —  one  for  each  year 

of  its  growth.     All  dicotyledons  have  stems 

marked  in  rings,  and  many  are  valuable  as   CROSS  SECTION  OF  OAK, 

SHOWING  ANNUAL,  RINGS 

timber. 

If  the  stem  of  a  palm  tree  be  cut  across,  it  will  not  show 
rings,  but  a  hard  bark,  with  soft  tissue  inside. 
All  monocotyledons  have  stems  like  this,  and 
are  of  little  value  in  building. 

You  can  see  a  cross  section  of  any  of  these 
trees  at  any  museum,  or  you  may  pick  up 
pieces  in  a  timber  yard.  It  will  please  you  and 
interest  you  to  notice  these  things,  and  you  will 
learn  many  delightful  truths  about  the  world  of  plants  in  which 
we  live,  and  about  the  wonderful  ways  of  Nature. 


CROSS  SECTION  OF 
MONOCOTYLEDON 


NATURE   STUDY  MADE  EASY 


27 


CLASS  WORK 

Bring  in  a  cross  section  of  a  stem  of  a  dicotyledon. 
What  is  the  name  of  your  specimen  ? 
Bring  in  a  leaf  of  a  dicotyledon;  of  a  monocotyledon. 
Notice  the  veining.     Try  to  draw  the  veins  of  the  maple  leaf;  of  the 
lily  leaf. 

Which  of  the  monocotyledons  do  you  of tenest  see  ? 


The  Voice"  of  the  Grass 

Here  I  come  creeping,  creeping  everywhere; 

By  the  dusty  roadside, 

On  the  sunny  hillside, 

Close  by  the  noisy  brook, 

In  every  shady  nook, 

I  come  creeping,  creeping  everywhere. 

Here  I  come  creeping,  creeping  everywhere, 

All  around  the  open  door, 

Where  sit  the  aged  poor, 

Here  where  the  children  play, 

In  the  bright  merry  May, 

I  come  creeping,  creeping  everywhere. 

Here  I  come  creeping,  creeping  everywhere; 

In  the  noisy  city  street, 

My  pleasant  face  you'll  meet 

Cheering  the  sick  at  heart 

Toiling  his  busy  part, 

Silently  creeping,  creeping  everywhere. 


28 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


Here  I  come  creeping,  creeping  everywhere; 

When  you're  numbered  with  the  dead 

In  your  still  and  narrow  bed, 

In  the  happy  spring  I'll  come, 

And  deck  your  silent  home, 

Silently  creeping,  creeping  everywhere. 

—  SARAH  ROBERTS  BOYLE. 


LESSON  X 

HOW  STEMS  GROW 

Have  you  ever  noticed  how  bravely  the  flowers  hold  up  their 
heads  in  the  bright  sunlight  ?  What  is  it  that 
supports  the  flowers  and  leaves?  It  is  the 
stem.  The  stem  of  the  plant  holds  up  the 
leaves  so  that  the  sun  may  shine  on  them  and 
the  air  pass  around  them.  The  stem  holds 
up  the  flowers  so  that  the  sun  may  color  them 
and  the  honey  bees  may  visit  them.  The  stem 
also  carries  to  the  leaves  the  sap  food  from  the 
root. 

Stems  are  all  sizes — from  the  delicate  little 
stem  of  the  maiden-hair  fern,  to  the  strong, 
huge  trunk  of  the  great  oak  tree.  Stems  differ 
in  texture.  Some,  like  the  geranium  stem,  are 
soft  and  fleshy;  others,  like  the  stem  of  the 
SUNFLOWER  oak,  are  hard  and  woody. 


NATURE   STUDY  MADE  EASY 


29 


Stems  not  only  differ  in  texture  and  size,  but  they  vary  in  form. 
Most  stems  are  round  and  smooth,  like  the  stem  of  the  rose.     Some 


STEM  OF 
ROSE 


STEM  OF 
WALLFLOWER 


STEM  OF 
SWEET  PEA 


are  angular,  like  the  dead  nettle  and  wallflower.  Some  are  flat, 
like  that  of  the  sweet  pea  and  the  vetch.  Have  you  seen 
these  plants? 

Then,  again,  all  stems  do  not  grow  in  the  same  way.  Some  grow 
erect  and  straight,  like  the  geranium,  and  hold  up  their  leaves  and 
flowers.  Most  stems  do  this.  Some  stems,  like  the  morning-glory, 
support  themselves  by  turning  round  any  pole  or  support  that 
comes  in  their  way  which  will  hold  them  up.  Sometimes  the  long 
slender  stems  of  the  leaves  themselves  twine  and  hold  up  the  leaf, 
as  in  the  garden  nightshade. 

Some  stems  grow  so  long  that  they  cannot  hold  themselves 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 


OF 


30 


NATURE   STUDY   MADE  EASY 


MORNING  GLORY 


GARDEN  PEA 


STEM  OF  NIGHTSHADE 


erect,  so  they  send  out  little  tendrils,  that  climb  and  coil  around 

supports.  Have  you  ever  noticed 
the  tendrils  on  the  stem  of  a 
kidney  bean,  or  on  the  stem  of  a 
garden  pea  ?  Do  so,  and  you  will 
be  delighted  with  the  pretty  coil 
they  make.  Some  stems,  like  the 
ivy,  throw  out  rootlets,  which 
IvT  fasten  themselves  into  any  hole 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


31 


or  crevice,  and  climb  up  a  wall  that  way.  Some  plants,  like  the 
wild  rose,  climb  by  means  of  thorns,  which  hook  on  to  neighbor- 
ing plants,  and  so  lift  up  the  leaves  and  flowers.  These  are  called 
climbing  stems. 


STRAWBERRY  RUNNER 


Have  you  noticed  how  the  strawberry  stem  grows  ?    That  creeps 
along  the  ground,  and  every  now  and  then  in  its  journey  the  run- 


32  NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 

ner  sends  down  little  buds.  These  buds  produce  roots,  which 
feed  new  strawberry  plants.  The  difference  between  a  tendril 
and  a  runner  is  that  the  runner  produces  on  its  tip  a  leaf  bud, 
while  the  tendril  does  not. 

Here  is  a  strange  truth:  some  stems  do  not  appear  above 
ground.  Like  the  root,  they  grow  under  the  ground.  They  are 
called  underground  stems. 

The  potato,  which  we  all  know  so  well,  is  the  tuber  of  an  under- 
ground stem.     It  stores  up  in  itself  nourishment  for  the  new  leaf 
buds,  which  will  later  produce  new  potato  plants. 
You   have   seen  these   leaf   buds   on    the    potato. 
They  are  called  "eyes." 

The    onion,    too,   is    an   under- 

SEED  PIECE  OF 

POTATO  ground  stem,   full  of   nourishment 

for  its  new  plant.     We  take  advantage    of   this 
stored   nourishment,    and    cook   it   for   our   own 
table.     So   you   see   underground    stems   are  useful   articles  of 
food. 

In  some  other  lessons  we  will  talk  again  about  stems. 

TOPICS  FOR  COMPOSITION 

Why  stems  grow  erect. 
Why  stems  climb. 
How  they  climb. 
Why  stems  creep. 
Underground  stems. 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY  33 


May 

There  is  but  one  May  in  the  year, 

And  sometimes  May  is  wet  and  cold ; 
There  is  but  one  May  in  the  year 

Before  the  year  grows  old. 

Yet  though  it  be  the  chilliest  May, 

With  least  of  sun  and  most  of  showers, 

Its  wind  and  dew,  its  night  and  day, 
Bring  up  the  flowers. 

—  CHRISTINA  G.  ROSSETTI. 


LESSON  XI 

HERBS,  SHRUBS,  AND  TREES  COMPARED 

Plants  differ  from  each  other,  in  size  and 
shape,  in  color  and  duration  of  life.  Some 
plants,  like  the  bean  and  pea,  have  a  short  life. 
They  grow  from  seeds,  and  produce  leaves, 
flowers,  and  fruit  all  in  one  season.  Then 
their  work  is  over,  and  they  die.  These 
plants  have  soft,  succulent  stems.  They 
love  the  bright  sunshine,  but  cannot  stand 
the  cold  frosts  of  winter.  They  are  called 

herbs.  HERB 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


Most  of  our  vegetables 
belong  to  this  class,  like  the 
cabbage,  pea,  bean,  potato. 
Many  of  our  flowers,  too, 
are  herbs,  like  the  daisy, 
the  buttercup,  and  the  corn- 
flower. 

Some  plants,  like  the 
myrtle,  do  not  die  at  the 
end  of  one  season.  During 
the  summer  they  blossom, 
flower,  and  produce  seed, 
and  during  the  winter  they 
They  do  not  grow  very  high,  but 
send  out  many  branches  and  leaves,  and  make  a  bushy  appear- 
ance. They  have  strong,  woody  stems,  which  resist  the  cold. 
These  are  known  as  shrubs.  Shrubs  add  much  beauty  to  a  land- 
scape, and  we  love  to  plant  them  on  our  lawns  or  in  our  parks. 

Trees  are  not  stunted  in  their  growth  like  shrubs.  They  grow 
higher  and  higher  each  year.  Their  trunks  become  rounder  and 
firmer  and  stronger  as  winter  approaches.  Though  their  leaves 
fall,  they  mark  their  dropping  place  by  leaving  behind  a  leaf  bud, 
which  next  season  buds  forth  into  new  leaves  and  new  branches. 
Notice  them  on  the  maple,  the  oak,  the  peach,  the  apple,  and 
other  trees. 

So,  while  herbs  live  only  one  year,  and  so  are  called  annuals, 


A  SHRUB 

live  on  and  brave  the  frost. 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


35 


shrubs  and  trees 
may  live  many 
years,  producing 
new  branches 
and  buds.  They 
are  called  peren- 
nials. Some 
trees  live  hun- 
dreds and  hun- 
dreds of  years. 
They  are  strong- 
er and  more 
hardy  than  any 
other  of  their 
fellows  in  the 
world  of  Nature. 
There  are  trees 
still  growing  in 

our   western   forests  that    were   growing  there   when   Columbus 
discovered  America.     Think  of  it !     What  a  story  they  could  tell ! 

LANGUAGE  LESSON 

Make  a  list  of  herbs  that  you  have  seen  growing. 
Make  a  list  of  shrubs  that  you  have  seen  growing. 
Make  a  list  of  trees  that  you  have  seen   in  parks,   or  on   the  city 
streets. 

Why  are  trees  called  perennials  ? 


A  TREE 


36  NATURE   STUDY   MADE  EASY 


The  Venturesome  Buds 

Last  autumn,  when  Winter  was  taking 
His  last  cozy  nap  in  his  bed, 
And  each  little  leaf  bud  was  sleeping, 
With  blankets  pulled  over  its  head, 

We  crept  halfway  out  of  our  cradles; 
The  sun  kissed  us  sadly ;  the  air 
Was  colder,  by  far,  than  we  liked  it ; 
The  pines  whispered  softly  —  "  Beware  !" 

But  just  then  old  Winter  came  roaring 
And  rushing  down  over  the  hill :  - 
At  the  first  awful  blast  of  the  trumpet 
Our  poor  little  hearts  stood  still. 

He  clutched  us  so  with  cold  fingers 
We  nearly  were  choking  to  death; 
And  rustled  us  so  with  his  breezes 
We  came  near  to  losing  our  breath. 

And  then  growing  tenderer  towards  us, 
He  made  us  white  hoods,  warm  and  nice, 
And  fastened  them  under  our  noses 
With  quaint  little  buckles  of  ice. 

But,  an  hour  ago,  a  dear  bluebird 
Perched  here  on  our  trembling  spray, 
And  sang,  and  sang,  and  sang,  and  sang, 
Till  he  sang  old  Winter  away. 


NATURE   STUDY   MADE  EASY 


37 


Now  we  must  each  meet  the  springtime 
With  a  frost-bitten  nose  or  an  ear. 
We  shall  sleep  like  all  the  sensible  buds 
When  Winter  comes  round  next  year. 

—  ALICE  GARY. 


LESSON  XII 

LIFE  HISTORY   OF   THE  STRAWBERRY 
\ 

What  a  luscious  fruit  is  tHe  ripe  red  straw- 
berry ! 

In  a  wild  state,  its  creeping  vines  cover  the 
hills  and  meadows,  and  the  fruit  makes  welcome 
food   for   the    birds   and    insects.     When    culti- 
vated, its  pretty  runners  cover  our  gardens,  and 
its  luscious  berries  give  us  a  delicious  dessert  for  our  tables. 
How  does  it  grow?     Let  us  follow  its  life  history. 
You  may  see  the  strawberry  seeds  in  great  numbers  dotting 
the  red-cushioned  fruit.     They  are  hard  and  gritty.     Inside  each 
is  a  baby  strawberry  plant. 

We  do  not  often  raise  strawberries  from 
seeds,  for  they  would  take  too  long  to  grow. 
The  strawberry  plant  is  generally  propagated 
by  runners. 

As  soon  as  the  warm  sun  comes  out,  the 
strawberry  plant  sends  up  its  pretty  three- 


FLOWER  OF  STRAW- 
BERRY 


38 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


leaved  stems.     Soon  snow-white  blossoms  appear,  with  five  deli- 
cate petals. 

Numerous  yellow  stamens,  bearing  heads  of  pollen,  are  seen 
within,  while  numerous  pistils  grow  up  to  receive  the  pollen. 

Now,  buzzing  in  the  summer  sun,  come  the  busy  bees,  seeking 
for  honey  in  the  sweet-scented  flowers.  They  carry  the  pollen 
from  blossom  to  blossom,  and  the  seeds  begin  to  ripen.  Each  of 
these  strawberry  pistils  has  a  separate  seed  box,  and  within 
this  seed  box  grows  the  seed. 

Now  the  blossom  falls  off,  and  the  top  of 
the  flower  stalk  begins  to  swell,  bearing  the 
little  brown  seeds  on  its  surface.  It  swells 
more  and  more,  growing  big,  and  red,  and 
juicy,  and  forms  the  delicious  strawberry 
we  find  so  welcome  in  early  summer. 

Meanwhile    the    busy     plant    has    been 
throwing  out  its  long,  pale  runners  in  all  directions. 

The  little  runners  feel  around  on  the  moist  earth,  till  they 
find  a  suitable  place. 

Then  they  form  roots  which  sink  into  the  earth,  and  commence 
growth  as  new  plants. 


TOP  OF  FLOWER  STALK 
SWELLING 


STRAWBERRY  RUNNER 


NATURE   STUDY   MADE  EASY 


39 


Now  comes  the  gardener  to  cut  them  from  the  parent  plant, 
and  transplant  them  to  make  new  strawberry  plants  for  next  year. 

All  winter  the  young  plants  lie  warm 
underground,  and  next  summer  they 
grow  up  to  bear  leaves,  blossoms,  and 
fruit,  and  to  send  out  new  runners  as 
the  old  plant  did  last  year.  All  run- 
ners are  not  needed  to  grow  straw- 
berry plants,  but  all  should  be  cut  off 
from  the  parent  plant.  If  they  are  left 
growing,  they  will  draw  from  the  strength 
of  the  plant  and  weaken  the  fruit. 

Look  for  some  wild  strawberry  plants 
during  your  next  walk  along  a  country 
road.  You  will  see  them  creeping  over 
the  mounds  among  the  grass. 

LANGUAGE  LESSON 

Write  the  life  story  of  the  strawberry. 

How  is  the  strawberry  propagated? 

How  are  the  runners  formed  ? 

What  is  done  with  them  ? 

Tell  the  life  history  of  a  strawberry  runner. 

Strawberries 
\ 
When  the  fields  are  sweet  with  clover, 

And  the  woods  are  glad  with  song, 
When  the  brooks  are  running  over, 
And  the  days  are  bright  and  long, 


40 


NATURE   STUDY    MADE  EASY 


Then,  from  every  nook  and  bower, 
Peeps  the  dainty  strawberry  flower. 
When  the  dear,  enchanting  summer 

Tosses  beauties  at  our  feet, 
She  delights  each  weary  comer 

With  her  berries,  fresh  and  sweet : 
Springtide's  blossoms,  stored  away, 

Ripen  for  us  all  to-day. 

—  DORA  READ  GOODALE. 


LESSON  XIII 

LIFE   HISTORY   OF  A  MAPLE 

The  maple  is  one  of  our  most  beautiful  shade 
trees.  That  is  why  our  avenues  are  lined 
with  them.  Just  outside  our  schoolroom 
window  is  a  row  of  young  maples.  We 
love  to  watch  them  in  the  early  spring, 
when  their  leaf  buds  burst  forth  under  the  warm  sun.  They 
grow  larger  and  larger,  and  greener  and  greener  each  day. 

All  through  the  hot  summer  months  they  grow,  kindly  shading 
the  sidewalks  from  the  burning  sun,  and  giving  homes  to  the  happy 
little  birds  who  live  in  their  branches.  In  autumn,  when  the  sun's 
rays  become  weaker,  the  green  coloring  in  the  leaves  changes  into 
red  and  yellow,  and  other  beautiful  colors.  One  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful sights  in  our  woods  is  the  appearance  of  the  maple  trees  in 
autumn. 


NATURE  STUDY   MADE  EASY 


41 


The  maple  blooms  early  in  the  summer,  but  its  flowers  have  no 
petals;  only  stamens  and  pistils.  Often  one  maple  tree  will  have 
all  staminate  flowers,  and  another  maple  tree  will  have  all  pistillate 
flowers. 

The  flowers  hang  on  slender  threads  and  look  like  fringes. 
This  is  to  enable  the  wind  easily  to  blow  the  pollen  from  the 
staminate  flowers  on  to  the  pistillate  flowers,  to  ripen  them.  The 
staminate  flowers  then  disappear, 
but  the  pistillate  flowers  form  seeds, 
which  are  almost  as  pretty  as  the 
flower  fringes. 

The  seed  of  the  maple  is  called 
a  samara,  and  consists  of  a  seed  pod 
with  a  wing.  Generally  two  pods 
grow  together,  but  when  they  are 
thoroughly  dry  and  ripe,  they  fall 
apart.  The  wings  are  thin  and  light, 
and  are  easily  carried  to  a  distance 
by  the  wind,  till  they  fall  to  the 
soft  earth  and  sink  into  the  ground. 
There  they  lie  all  winter,  but  as  soon  as  spring  returns,  and 
the  note  of  the  bluebird  is  heard,  the  little  brown  seeds  swell 
under  the  warm  rays  of  the  sun,  and  burst  their  seed  coats 
and  send  up  a  pair  of  green  leaves.  This  is  the  new  maple 
tree.  The  root  grows  downward,  and  by  and  by  a  seedling 
appears. 


MAPLE  KEY 


MAPLE  FRINGE 


42 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


As  the  months  go  by,  new  green  leaves 
are  formed,  branches  shoot  out,  and  by  the 
fall,  another  young  maple  has  begun  its  life 
work.  We  should  protect  these  baby  trees 
and  help  them  to  grow.  Some  day  they  will 
be  branching  trees  as  big  as  those  we  now 
know,  and  we  may  be  glad  to  sit  under  their 
shade. 

Winged  Seeds 


MAPLE  SEEDLING 


Oh,  gold-green  wings,  and  bronze-green  wings, 

And  rose-tinged  wings,  that  down  the  breeze 

Come  sailing  from  the  maple  trees ! 

You  showering  things,  you  shimmering  things, 

That  June-time  always  brings ! 

Oh,  are  you  seeds  that  seek  the  earth, 

The  shade  of  lovely  leaves  to  spread  ? 

Or  shining  angels,  that  had  birth 

When  kindly  words  were  said  ? 

Oh,  downy  dandelion  wings, 
Wild-floating  wings  like  silver  spun, 
That  dance  and  glisten  in  the  sun ! 
You  airy  things,  you  elfin  things, 
That  June-time  always  brings ! 
Oh,  are  you  seeds  that  seek  the  earth, 
The  light  of  laughing  flowers  to  spread? 
Or  flitting  fairies,  that  had  birth 
When  merry  words  were  said  ? 

—  HELEN  GRAY  CONE  in  St.  Nicholas. 


NATURE  STUDY   MADE  EASY 


43 


LESSON  XIV 

KINDS  OF  MAPLES 

There  are  many  varieties  of  maple. 
One   of    the   most    common   is   the   Red   Maple, 
which  generally  grows   along  streams  and  swamps, 
but  is  sometimes  planted  along  streets  and  in  parks. 
It  blooms  earlier  than  the  crocuses  or  pussy  wil- 
lows.    The  flowers  come  out  before  the  leaves.    They     RED  MAPLE 
grow  in  bright  red  tufts  all  over  the  tree.     Some  of  them  have 
little  balls  covered  with  yellow  dust.     These  are  the 
staminate  flowers.     Some  have  tiny  red  plumes   on 
each  flower.     These  are  the  pistillate  flowers.     When 
these  pistillate  flowers  are  ripe,  they  become  "  Ma  pie 
Keys."     They  bloom  in  March  and  are  ripe  in  May. 
The  Red  Maple  bears  palmate,  or  hand-shaped,  opposite  leaves 
and  a  two-winged  fruit. 

The  Silver  Maple  is  a  tall  tree  with  a  pale  bark,  which 
flakes  off  in  thin  scales.  The  leaves  are  silvery  white  under- 
neath, with  deep,  sharp  notches.  Like  the  Red 
Maple,  it  blooms  early.  The  flowers  and  leaves  « 
come  out  together,  and  the  seeds  fall  in  Octo- 
ber. The  leaves  are  nearly  round,  with ,  a  few 
large  notches.  The  wood  is  hard  and  tough  and 

Close  grained.  SILVER  MAPLE 


MAPLE  KEY 


44 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


The  Striped  Maple  has  a  light  green  bark  striped  with  dark 
lines.  The  wood  is  dark  and  fine,  but  it  does  not  grow  high  unless 

it  is  grafted  upon  another 
maple  tree. 

The  Mountain  Maple  is 
shrubby  in  growth.  Its  leaves 
appear  before  the  flowers,  and 
they  grow  in  long  spikes  at  the 
ends  of  the  twigs. 

The  Great  Maple  Trees  of 
Northern  America  have  leaves 
which  are  sometimes  a  foot 

STAMINATE  FLOWERS  AND  PISTILLATE  broad.      Think   of   that  ! 

FLOWERS  OF  MAPLE.  »  ...  . .   •> 

Some  of  our  prettiest  articles 

of  furniture  are  made  from  the  "  Bird's-eye  Maple, "  and  the 
" Curly  Maple."  When  the  wood  is  polished,  it  has  lights  and 
shades  like  the  folds  of  a  satin  gown.  Have  you  ever  seen  it  ? 


SUGGESTED  WORK  FOR  CLASS 

Have  children  bring  in  leaves  from  the  different  maple  trees, 
them.     Dry  and  press  them. 

Name  ten  articles  of  furniture  made  from  the  maple  tree. 
Write  a  description  of  the  red  maple  and  the  silver  maple. 
For  what  are  bird's-eye  and  curly  maple  used  ? 
Why  do  maple  leaves  turn  red  in  the  Fall  ? 
Draw  a  maple  key  and  describe  it. 


Draw 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY  45 

The  Maple* 

Oh,  tenderly  deepen  the  woodland  glooms, 

And  merrily  sway  the  beeches; 
Breathe  delicately  the  willow  blooms, 

And  the  pines  rehearse  new  speeches ; 
The  elms  toss  high  till  they  reach  the  sky, 

Pale  catkins  the  yellow  birch  launches, 
But  the  tree  I  love  all  the  greenwood  above 

Is  the  maple  of  sunny  branches. 

Let  who  will  sing  of  the  hawthorn  in  spring, 

Or  the  late-leaved  linden  in  summer; 
There's  a  word  may  be  for  the  locust  tree, 

That  delicate,  strange  newcomer; 
But  the  maple  it  glows  with  the  tint  of  the  rose 

When  pale  are  the  springtime  regions, 
And  its  towers  of  flame  from  afar  proclaim 

The  advance  of  winter's  legions. 

—  CHARLES  G.  D.  ROBERTS. 


LESSON   XV 

THE  SUGAR  MAPLE 

Maples  make  beautiful  shade  trees,  and  some  species  grow  to  a 
large  size.  For  these  reasons  we  plant  them  along  our  avenues 
and  streets  and  grow  them  in  our  parks  and  public  resting  places. 

*  From  Poems  by  C.  G.  D.  Roberts,  copyright,  1901,  by  Silver,  Burdett  &  CoJBy 
courtesy  of  L.  C.  Page  &  Co.,  the  present  publishers. 


46 


NATURE  STUDY   MADE  EASY 


SUGAR  MAPLE 


One  of  the  most  beautiful  and  largest  of  the  maple  family  is  the 
Sugar  Maple.     It  is  not  only  valuable  as  a  shade  tree,  but  yields 

a  delicious  sweet  syrup  from  its  sap. 

The  trees  are  grown  in  groves  for  this 
purpose.  In  the  spring  of  the  year,  when 
the  leaves  are  forming,  and  the  sap  is  as- 
cending, the  bark  of  the  tree  is  " tapped"; 
that,  is,  a  hole  is  bored  through  the  bark  into  the  wood  beneath, 
and  a  little  wooden  tube  or  spout  is  driven  into  the  hole.  A  pail 
is  hung  beneath,  to  catch  the  sap  as  it  runs  out.  Sap  runs  best 
when  the  days  are  warm  and  the  nights  are  cold. 

The  sap'  is  collected  in  large  kettles  and  boiled  to  syrup. 
Then  it  is  known  as  maple  syrup.  Sometimes  it  is  allowed  to  boil 
longer;  then  it  is  poured  into  molds  and  made  into  maple  sugar. 
Just  before  it  is  ready  to  turn  to  sugar,  it 
makes  a  delicious  "wax."  Boys  some- 
times pour  this  hot,  thick  syrup  on  snow, 
and  when  it  thickens  into  a  sticky  paste, 
they  eat  it.  They  say  it  is  better  than  any 
kind  of  candy. 

A  great  deal  of  sugar  is  made  in  the  New 
England  states,  where  the  sugar  maple  grows 
abundantly. 

In  early  days,  maple  sugar  was  the 
only  sugar  used.  Sometimes  the  sap  of 
other  trees,  as  birches  and  elms,  is  made 


TAPPING  A  SUGAR  MAPLE 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


47 


into  syrup,   but   it   is  not   as  plentiful,  nor  as  good,  as  maple 
sugar. 

The  wood  of  the  maple  is,  as  we  have  said,  valuable  for  orna- 
mental furniture.  One  sugar  maple  gives  a  pretty  satin  wood, 
dotted  all  over  with  round  spots,  caused  by  knots  in  the  wood. 


A  MAPLE  SUGAR  GROVE 

It  is  known  as  "  Bird's-eye  Maple. "  Another  sugar  maple  gives  a 
pretty  wood,  with  wavy,  shining  lines  made  by  irregular  streaks 
in  the  wood. 

Maple  wood  is  light  in  color  and  light  in  weight.  It  admits  of 
a  high  polish,  and  is  used  for  light  articles  of  furniture,  chiefly  for 
bedroom  furniture. 

LANGUAGE  LESSON 

Write  a  description  of  "  How  Sugar  is  obtained  from  the  Maple 
Tree." 


48  NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


In  the  Sugar  Camp 

The  sun  is  pouring  from  a  cloudless  sky; 
The  glittering  snow  o'er  stream  and  field  and  hill 
Will  bear  our  weight;  there's  summer  in  the  air; 
But  ah !  how  bare  the  leafless  wood  and  still ! 

There's  scarce  a  breath  to  stir  the  maple  trees ; 
There's  not  a  wildwood  voice  or  bird  afloat 
Save  the  low  alto  of  the  chickadee,  - 
But  hark  !     Hurrah  !   the  bluebird's  joyous  note! 

And  oh  !  the  sun,  the  flooding,  golden  sun  ! 
The  roof  trees  pour  their  floods  beneath  its  beams, 
And  from  the  maples  come  the  gay  drip-drop 
Of  sap  on  every  hand  in  limpid  streams. 

The  sun  rolls  high.     The  snow  no  longer  bears. 
The  roads  are  swimming  o'er  with  bubbling  streams. 
The  tubs  are  filling  in  the  sugar  bush, 
Drip-drop,  and  every  drop  like  crystal  gleams. 

And  now  the  steers.     Leap  on  the  hogshead,  boys, 
'Tis  now  high  time  the  gathering  was  begun ; 
The  snow  is  deep,  but  every  maple  tree 
Must  yield  its  pail  of  sweet  ere  set  of  sun. 

And  next  the  boiling.     Through  the  whole  long  night 
The  foaming  pans  pour  out  their  clouds  of  steam ; 
And  when  the  darkness  falls  among  the  trees, 
The  fires  send  o'er  the  snow  their  ruddy  gleam. 
********* 

—  FRED  LEWIS  PATTEE. 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY  49 

LESSON  XVI 

THE  MAPLE  TREE'S  CHILDREN 

One  windy  day  in  March  a  maple  tree  awoke  from  her  winter 
sleep.  "Oh,  Mother  Nature/7  she  cried,  "I  am  shivering  with  cold. 
My  limbs  are  bare  and  ugly.  Spring  is  coming,  and  the  birds  will  be 
returning  from  the  South.  I  want  to  look  pretty  and  inviting,  so 
that  they  will  want  to  build  their  nests  in  my  branches.  They 
will  not  come  to  me,  for  I  have  no  leaves  to  hide  them." 

Kind  Mother  Nature  smiled — a  knowing  smile.  Suddenly  there 
was  a  gentle  movement  at  the  ends  of  the  twigs,  and  all  along  the 
branches  of  the  maple  tree.  The  flower  buds  burst,  and  sent  out 
long  stumps  of  catkins.  The  leaf  buds  opened  and  covered  the 
maple  with  clusters  of  leaves.  The  maple  tree  was  happy.  Birds 
came  to  build  their  nests  in  her  branches ;  and  a  pair  of  robins  and 
a  family  of  thrushes  sang  sweet  songs  all  day. 

How  pretty  her  green  leaves  looked!  The  wind  whispered 
pleasant  things  to  them,  till  they  fluttered  and  danced  with 
joy. 

When  the  leaves  were  hot  or  dusty,  Mother  Nature  sent  cooling 
raindrops  to  refresh  them.  A  happier  tree  could  not  be  found. 

u Thanks,  thanks,  Mother  Nature,  for  your  kindness  and  care," 
said  the  maple;  "I  will  spread  my  leaves  and  make  shade  for  the 
school  children." 


50  NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 

Summer  passed,  and  all  its  joy.  By  and  by  autumn  came, 
with  its  gloomy  skies  and  chilling  winds.  The  maple  tree  grew 
sad,  for  she  heard  her  little  leaves  sighing:  "We  shall  surely  die 
—  we  shall  surely  die  ! " 

"My  dear  little  leaves  !"  sighed  the  maple  tree.  "  Poor  things, 
they  are  fading  and  drooping.  Are  they  going  to  die?" 

"I  will  make  their  death  beautiful,"  said  kind  Mother  Nature. 
Then  she  sent  the  sun  behind  clouds,  and  the  leaves  changed  their 
color  to  gold  and  scarlet  and  russet  brown. 

"How  beautiful!"  said  every  one.  At  last,  one  cold  morning, 
the.  maple  tree  stood  all  bare  with  her  pretty  brown  and  red  leaves 
heaped  on  the  ground. 

"Dear,  pretty  things,"  she  said,  "how  I  shall  miss  you.  No  one 
will  care  for  me  now." 

Just  then,  a  merry  crowd  of  school  children  came  along,  talking 
of  red  berries  and  autumn  leaves. 

"Do  you  think  there  is  any  beauty  in  a  tree  without  leaves?" 
asked  a  little  girl. 

"Indeed  I  do,"  replied  another  girl.  "Look  up  through  the 
maple.  Its  branches  make  a  lovely  picture  against  the  blue  sky." 
The  girls  all  looked  up  to  see  the  tracing  of  the  branches  against 
the  sky. 

"Ah,"  said  the  maple  tree,  "that  will  be  pleasant  to  dream  about 
during  the  winter."  For  she  felt  her  long  winter  nap  coming  on, 
and  the  buds  nestling  closer  to  the  branches. 

Just  then  there  was  a  gentle  rustling  around  her  trunk.  ,  "Dear 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY  51 

mother  tree!"  cried  the  little  leaves  on  the  ground.  "She  has 
taken  care  of  us  all  summer.  Her  roots  and  stems  have  fed  us. 
She  has  held  us  up  to  the  sun,  and  been  a  good  mother  to  us.  Now, 
we  will  do  something  for  her.  We  will  gather  close  to  her  trunk  and 
keep  her  warm.  Then  we  will  sink  into  the  ground  and  turn  our- 
selves into  food  to  feed  her,  when  she  wakes  up  after  her  long  winter 
nap." 

So  saying,  they  gathered  closer  to  the  maple  tree.  The  rains 
beat  them  into  the  ground,  and  the  winds  blew  the  loose  earth 
over  them,  and  then  they  turned  into  food  for  the  old  maple  tree. 

When  she  wakes  up  in  the  spring,  she  will  be  happy,  and  will 
soon  clothe  herself  again  with  pretty  blossoms  and  leaves. 

—  ABBIE  MORTON  DIAZ,  Adapted. 

LANGUAGE  LESSON 
Tell  or  write  a  story  telling :  — 

1.  What  did  the  Maple  Tree  want  ?     Why  ? 

(a)  In  spring 

2.  What  did  Mother  Nature  do  for  her? 

(c)  In  autumn 

(d)  In  winter. 
October's  Party 

October  gave  a  party ; 
The  leaves  by  hundreds  came, 
The  Chestnuts,  Oaks,  and  Maples, 
And  leaves  of  every  name. 

The  sunshine  spread  a  carpet, 
And  everything  was  grand, 


52  NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 

Miss  Weather  led  the  dancing, 
Professor  Wind  the  band. 

The  Chestnuts  came  in  yellow, 
The  Oaks  in  crimson  dressed, 
The  lovely  Misses  Maple 
In  scarlet  looked  their  best. 

All  balanced  to  their  partners 
And  gayly  fluttered  by; 
The  sight  was  like  a  rainbow 
New  fallen  from  the  sky. 

Then  in  the  rustic  hollow 
At  hide-and-seek  they  played, 
The  party  closed  at  sundown 
And  everybody  stayed. 

Professor  Wind  played  louder; 
They  flew  along  the  ground, 
And  then  the  party  ended 

In  hands  across,  all  round. 

—  GEORGE  COOPER. 


LESSON  XVII 

THE   OAK 

The  oak  is  called  the  "Monarch  of  the  Forest."  Just  as  the 
lion  is  the  king  among  animals,  so  the  oak  is  the  king  among  trees. 

What  great,  strong,  sturdy  branches  he  bears!  How  gnarled 
and  rugged  is  his  trunk !  Yet  once  he  was  a  little  acorn,  and  lived 
in  a  little  cup. 


NATURE  STUDY   MADE  EASY 


53 


Oak  trees  will  grow  in  any  kind  of  soil.  They  like  best  the  soft 
soil,  into  which  they  can  send  down  their  long  roots  —  deep,  deep. 
They  must  spread  their  roots,  too,  for  the  mighty  branches  with 
their  many  leaves  and  flowers  and  acorns  need  a  great  deal  of 
support  and  many  roots  to  feed  them. 

Although  oak  trees  will  grow  almost  anywhere,  they  do  not  like 
cold,  wet  places,  nor  the  borders  of  ponds  and  marshes.  They 
grow  best  in  forests 
in  temperate  climes. 

The  oak  does  not 
bear  acorns  until  it 
is  about  eighteen 
years  old,  but  this 
is  babyhood  for  an 
oak,  for  the  oak  tree 
has  many  years  to 
live,  and  grow,  and 
strengthen.  Some 
oaks  live  to  be  a 
thousand  years  old. 

Oak  wood  is  very  hard  and  close  and  firm.  Each  year's 
growth  pushes  the  rings  of  wood  closer  together  and  adds  to  the 
value  of  the  wood.  For  this  reason  it  is  used  for  the  hulls  of  ships. 

Much  of  our  furniture  which  is  subjected  to  hard  usage  is 
made  of  oak  because  it  is  so  tough  and  strong.  Dining-room  chairs 
and  tables  are  often  made  of  oak. 


AN  OAK  TREE 


54  NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 

There  are  many  kinds  of  oak  trees.  It  is  a  pleasant  occupa- 
tion to  go  into  a  wood  and  gather  leaves  from  the  different  oaks, 
and  notice  the  differences  in  the  bark  of  the  trees. 

Notice,  too,  how  plants  cling  to  the  old  oak  trunks.  The  ivy 
leans  against  it,  soft  mosses  creep  over  it.  It  is  so  strong,  it  sup- 
ports them  all. 

The  Brave  Old  Oak 

A  song  to  the  oak,  the  brave  old  oak, 

Who  hath  ruled  in  the  greenwood  long; 
Here's  health  and  renown  to  his  broad  green  crown 

And  his  fifty  arms  so  strong. 
There  is  fear  in  his  frown  when  the  sun  goes  down 

And  the  fire  in  the  west  fades  out ; 
And  he  showeth  his  might  on  a  wild  midnight 

When  the  storm  through  his  branches  shout. 

Chorus 

Then  sing  to  the  oak,  the  brave  old  oak, 

Who  hath  stood  in  his  pride  so  long, 
And  still  flourish  he,  a  hale  green  tree, 

When  a  hundred  years  are  gone. 

He  saw  the  rare  times  when  the  Christmas  chimes 

Were  a  merry  sound  to  hear; 
And  the  squire's  wide  hall  and  the  cottage  small 

Were  full  of  Christmas  cheer; 
And  all  the  day  to  the  rebeck  gay, 

They  caroPd  with  gladsome  swains. 
They  are  gone,  they  are  dead,  in  the  churchyard  laid, 

But  the  brave  tree  still  remains. 

—  H.  F.  CHORLEY. 


NATURE  STUDY   MADE  EASY 


55 


LESSON  XVIII 

LIFE  HISTORY  OF  AN  OAK 

In  the  autumn,  when  the  leaves  begin  to  fall  from  the  oaks,  the 
little  acorns  fall  too.  They  nestle  in  the  grass,  or  roll  down  into  a 
furrow,  or  strike  on  the  soft  ground  under  the  tree. 
The  rains  beat  on  them,  and  some  of  the  acorns  are 
partly  buried  in  the  ground.  If  they  are  not  eaten 
by  insects,  or  carried  away  by  squirrels,  they  sink 
deeper  and  deeper,  and  rest  under  the  soil. 

In  the  first  warm  days  of  spring  the  little  acorn 
begins  to  swell.  Then  it  bursts  its  coat  and  begins  to 
sprout.  Up  shoot  the  two  tiny  seed  leaves  into  the 
air,  and  down  goes  the  baby  rootlet  into  the  soil. 
During  the  first  few  years  the  tiny  oak  makes  little 
growth.  A  few  leaves  appear  on  a  slender  stem. 

> 

Now  it  is  an  oak  sapling.  Each  year  it  grows  only 
about  a  foot,  but  it  is  busy  making  root,  trunk, 
branches,  and  leaves.  The  bark  on  the  trunk  is  smooth  at  first. 
As  the  sapling  gets  older  and  the  wood  grows  outward,  the  bark 
cracks  with  the  strain,  and  long  fissures  are  made  in  it. 

It  is  many  years  before  the  oak  produces  a  flower.  These  ap- 
pear before  the  leaves  in  early  spring  and  are  called  " oak-catkins/' 
Have  you  noticed  the  long,  slender,  graceful  clusters  hanging  on 
the  branches  of  a  tall  oak  ?  These  are  the  staminate  flowers.  They 


OAK 

SEEDLING 


56 


NATURE  STUDY   MADE  EASY 


hold  the  pollen.     Above  them  you  will  find  some  little  urn-shaped 
flowers,  which  stand  upright.     They   are    the   pistillate   flowers. 

Soon  the  pistillate  flowers  begin  to 
ripen,  and  all  summer  long  they 
feed  on  the  pollen.  When  autumn 
comes,  they  are  rewarded.  There, 
snugly  seated  in  their  little  urns,  or 
cups,  are  the  acorns.  These  are  the 
fruit.  The  acorn  ripens  and  falls,  but 
the  tree  does  not  die.  It  lives  for 
FLOWERS  OF  OAK  many,  many  years,  do- 
ing the  same  good  work,  blossoming,  ripening,  shed- 
ding crops  of  acorns.  It  gives  shelter  to  man,  it 
gives  homes  to  the  birds;  and  then,  when  it  is 
finally  cut  down,  it  is  used  in  making  ships,  houses, 
and  articles  of  furniture. 


PISTILLATE 

FLOWER  OF  OAK 

(magnified) 


LANGUAGE  LESSON 


Tell  the  life  story  of  an  oak :  — 

The  seed.     How  it  was  planted. 

How  it  grew,  — .the  flowers,  the  acorn,  seedling,  tree. 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY  57 


The  Oak  Tree 

The  oak  tree  was  an  acorn  once, 

And  fell  upon  the  earth  ; 
And  sun  and  showers  nourished  it, 

And  gave  the  oak  tree  birth. 

The  little  sprouting  oak  tree ! 

Two  leaves  it  had  at  first. 
Till  sun  and  showers  had  nourished  it, 

Then  out  the  branches  burst. 

The  little  sapling  oak  tree ! 

Its  root  was  a  tiny  thread, 
Till  the  kindly  earth  had  nourished  it, 

Then  out  it  freely  spread. 

On  this  side  and  on  that  side, 

It  grappled  with  the  ground, 
And  in  the  ancient,  rifted  rock 

Its  firmest  footing  found. 

Then  sing  for  the  oak  tree, 

The  monarch  of  the  wood ; 
Sing  for  the  oak  tree, 

That  groweth  green  and  good  ; 

That  groweth  broad  and  branching 

Within  the  forest  shade; 
That  groweth  now,  and  yet  shall  grow 

When  we  are  lowly  laid. 

—  MARY  HOWITT. 


58  NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 

LESSON  XIX 

TOM'S  ACORN 

"At  last,  at  last,  I  have  cheated  the  squir- 
rels ! "  merrily  cried  Tom  Brown,  as  he  stooped 
and  picked  up  a  big  brown  acorn  that  lay  under 
a  bunch  of  leaves. 

"Why,  what  have  you  done?"  asked  his  cousin  William,  who 
was  busy  hunting  for  maple  wings  under  an  old  maple  tree. 

"I  have  found  an  acorn,  a  big  one,  a  ripe  one.  It  was  such  hard 
work  to  get  it,  for  those  busy  little  nut  gatherers  have  been  around 
picking  up  their  winter  stores,  and  I  have  had  a  long  hunt  for  this." 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  with  it?  Will  you  eat  it?"  asked 
William. 

"Why,  Will,  how  stupid!  Boys  don't  eat  acorns;  pigs  and 
squirrels  do  that.  I  am  going  to  make  an  oak  tree  out  of  it." 

"An  oak  tree  out  of  that  little  nut !"  exclaimed  William,  who 
had  not  learnt  anything  about  acorns. 

"Why,  yes,"  replied  Tom;  "this  great  tree,  under  which  we  are 
standing,  grew  out  of  an  acorn  like  this.  My  teacher  told  me 


so." 


"Oh,  that  can  hardly  be  true!"  said  William;  "that  thing  is 
too  small  to  make  anything  so  big." 

"Well,  we  shall  see,"  said  his  cousin.  "  Seeing  is  believing." 
Then  pushing  his  acorn  safely  to  the  bottom  of  his  pocket,  he  and 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


59 


William  both  hurried  home,  for  night  was  falling,  and  they  had 
quite  a  long  distance  to  go. 

The  next  day  was  Saturday,  and  Will  was   up   early   to   see 
Tom  plant  his  oak  tree.     "First,  let  us  get 
a   pickle  bottle   and  fill  it  with  water,"  said 
Tom. 

"Now,  Will,  hold  the  acorn  while  I  tie  a 
string  round  it.  Next,  we  will  tie  it  over  the 
bottle  so  that  it  will  just  hang  in  the  water. 
Now,  let  us  put  it  in  the  sunlight  and  see 
what  will  happen." 

"This  is  great  fun  !"  said  William.  "How 
long  before  the  oak  tree  grows?" 

"Oh,  we  must  wait  a  while,"  said  Tom; 
"the  air  and  heat  and  water  must  work  upon 
the  seed  and  cause  it  to  swell;  then  it  will 
burst  its  outer  skin,  and  the  little  plantlet 
will  begin  to  grow." 

"A  plant  inside,  a  real  plant?"  asked  Will,  who  could  not 
understand  how  a  little  plant  could  live  in  so  small  a  space. 

"Yes,"  said  Tom;  "our  teacher  told  us  that  a  baby  plant  lives 
in  between  the  seed  leaves  and  as  soon  as  it  can  it  will  grow  like  its 
mother.  Now  we  will  leave  it  and  try  to  be  patient." 

Some  days  later  Tom  nearly  ran  over  William,  who  was  on  his 
way  to  the  ball  ground.  "Come,  Will,  come  back,  my  tree  is 
beginning  to  grow." 


THE  OAK  TREE  THAT 

GREW  IN  A  PICKLE 

BOTTLE 


60  NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 

"You  don't  mean  it,"  said  Will;  "I  must  go  with  you."  But 
Tom  was  right ;  the  seed  had  burst  its  coat,  and  the  little  rootlet 
was  pushing  its  way  into  the  water.  Looking  more  closely,  they 
found  two  tiny  green  leaves  pushing  upwards. 

"Now  that  it  is  started/'  said  Tom,  "I  will  set  it  in  a  pot  of 
soil.  It  will  want  more  food  than  it  can  get  in  water." 

Tom  did  so,  and  Will  and  he  watched  it  all  through  the  spring 
and  summer  months.  By  autumn,  to  their  delight,  they  found 
it  had  grown  into  a  httle  plant,  which  was  pushing  out  roots 
and  was  too  big  for  the  pot. 

Then  Tom  took  it  out  of  the  pot  and  planted  it  in  the  garden. 
It  is  still  growing,  and  Will  is  beginning  to  believe  that  perhaps  it 
may  some  day  be  an  oak  tree. 

LANGUAGE  LESSON 

Tell :  How  Tom  found  the  acorn. 

How  he  put  it  in  the  pickle  bottle. 
How  he  put  it  in  a  pot  of  soil. 
How  he  planted  it  in  the  garden. 
What  do  you  think  will  become  of  it  ? 


NATURE  STUDY   MADE  EASY 


61 


LESSON   XX 

KINDS  OF  OAK  TREES 

The  more  I  learn  about  trees  the  more  I  like  them.    I  see  them 

in  the  winter,  when  their  leaves  have  fallen,  and  I  can  study  how 

their  branches  grow.    I  see  them 

in  the  spring,  when  the .  buds  be- 
gin to  swell.     I  watch  their  tiny 

blossoms  as  they  cover  themselves 

with  yellow  pollen   and    change 

into  winged  seeds.    I  love  to  see 

them  scatter  and  fly  before  the 

wind.     I   see  the   leaves  unfold 

and  cover  the  trees  with  green, 
and  then  change  to  yel- 
low and  brown  and  red 
and  scarlet. 

Every  tree  is  a  friend 
of  mine,  and  I  want  to 
learn  the  names  of  each, 
and  their  manner  of  life 

and  growth.  I  think  I  love  the  oak  best.  It  re- 
minds me  of  strength  and  dignity.  I  believe  I  could 
pick  out  the  different  oak  trees  by  their  leaves,  buds, 

OAK  BUD     and  bark, 


A  TREE  IN  WINTER 


62 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


The  White  Oak  leaf  is  slightly  lobed,  and  is  narrow  at  the  base. 
The  bark  is  thin  and  scaly,  and,  when  it  is  old,  peels  off  in  strings. 


WHITE  OAK 


SCARLET  OAK 


The  Scarlet  Oak  leaf  is  deeply  cleft.  It  turns  brilliant  red  in 
autumn.  The  wood  has  a  reddish  tinge. 

The  Black  Oak  leaf  is  cleft  and  pointed,  and  the  bark  is  darker 
and  rougher  than  the  red  oak.  The  wood  has  an  orange  tinge. 
This  oak  is  valuable  for  the  tannin,  which  is  used  in  the  manu- 
facture of  leather. 

The  Bur  Oak  has  lobed  leaves,  but  its  bark  is  thicker  and 
rougher,  and  does  not  scale  off  like  the  bark  of  the  White  Oak. 
The  White  Oak  forms  its  acorns  in  one  season. 


BLACK  OAK 


BUR  OAK 


RED  OAK 


The  Red  Oak  requires  two  seasons  to  grow  its  acorns.  Every 
oak  bears  many  hundreds  of  crops  of  acorns  during  its  long  life. 
There  are  oaks  growing  in  America  now  that  were  growing  when 
Columbus  discovered  our  continent  in  1492.  Think  of  it ! 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY  63 


SUGGESTED  WORK  FOR  CLASS 

Visit  the  park,  and  bring  in  leaves  from  the  different  oak  trees. 
Visit  a  museum,  and  see  the  leaves  pressed.     Press  yours. 
Draw  a  leaf  of  the  White  Oak,  the  Red  Oak,  the  Black  Oak. 

The  Tender  Beech  and  the  Sapling  Oak 

For  the  tender  beech  and  the  sapling  oak, 

That  grow  by  the  shadowy  rill, 
You  may  cut  down  both  at  a  single  stroke, 

You  may  cut  down  which  you  will. 

But  this  you  must  know,  that  as  long  as  they  grow, 

Whatever  change  may  be, 
You  can  never  teach  either  oak  or  beech 

To  be  aught  but  a  greenwood  tree. 

—  THOMAS  LOVE  PEACOCK. 


LESSON  XXI 

TOM'S  LOG 

" Hello!  I  have  just  been  looking  for  you,"  cried  the  merry 
voice  of  Jack  Hart,  as  he  spied  the  back  of  Tom  Brown's  coat  in 
a  timber  yard.  "What  are  you  doing  here?  You  will  be  late  for 
school." 

"No,  I  won't/'  said  Tom;  "there  are  twenty  minutes  yet.  I 
was  passing  by  here  when  I  noticed  that  cross  section  of  a  log 
over  there,  and  I  want  to  get  it." 


64 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


CROSS  SECTION  OF  OAK, 
SHOWING  ANNUAL  RINGS 


"Now,  boys,  don't  linger  here.  You  will  be  late  for  school," 
came  from  the  other  end  of  the  yard,  and  Mr.  West,  the  manager, 
appeared  at  the  door  of  his  office. 

"  Please,  sir,  may  I  have  that  piece  of  wood  yonder?    It  looks 
like  a  cross  section  of  a  dicotyledon.     We  are  learning  about  that 
now,"  said  Tom. 

"Certainly,"  said  the  good-natured  mana- 
ger. "You  are  right,  that  is  part  of  an 
oak  stem.  If  you  count  the  rings,  you  can 
find  out  how  many  years  it  has  been  grow- 
ing." 

"Thank  you,  sir,"  said  Tom,  as  he  placed 
his  prize  under  his  arm. 
That  morning  Tom  entered  school  a  happy  boy.  He  was  the 
first  to  bring  in  a  cross  section  of  a  log,  though  the  boys  had  all 
been  hunting  for  them  for  a  week.  He 
showed  it  to  his  teacher,  who  was  pleased 
at  the  boy's  readiness,  and  promised  to 
tell  the  class  more  about  his  log.  That 
afternoon,  the  teacher  showed  the  piece 
of  oak  brought  in  by  Tom,  and,  to  make 
it  clearer,  drew  the  section  on  the  black- 
board. She  told  the  boys  that  woody 
stems  are  made  up  of  pith,  wood,  and  bark.  The  pith  is  in  the 
center,  and  is  soft  in  the  young  plant,  but,  as  the  tree  grows,  it 
pushes  the  wood  inward,  and  hardens  until  it  is  hardly  notice- 


END  OF  A  LOG 


NATURE  STUDY   MADE  EASY 


65 


able.  The  teacher  showed  the  place  where  the  pith  had  been. 
The  boys  quickly  guessed  that  the  wood  near  the  pith  was  the 
hardest,  because  it  was  the  oldest  and  driest.  She  told  them 
timber  men  call  it  the  "heartwood." 

Then  the  teacher  pointed  out  the  bark,  or  outside  layer  of  the 
tree.  Inside  the  bark  she  showed  an  inner  skin  which  is  called 
bast,  and  is  made  of  stringy  fibers  of 
wood.  Gardeners  use  this  for  tying  up 
plants.  Between  the  bark  and  the  white 
wood  she  pointed  out  a  sticky  layer. 
This,  she  told  the  boys,  was  the  impor- 
tant part  of  the  stem,  for  in  that  layer  all 
the  new  wood  was  formed.  This  is  the 
growing  part  of  the  stem.  Each  year  it 
builds  up  a  ring  of  wood.  This  wood  is  lighter  than  last  year's 
ring,  so  that,  by  counting  the  rings,  one  can  guess  rightly  just 
how  many  years  the  tree  has  been  growing. 

"Then  a  ring  is  formed  each  year,"  said  Tom. 

" Right,"  replied  his  teacher.  "Now,  you  can  imagine  that  as 
the  growth  goes  on  all  the  time,  the  stem  must  expand  and  grow 
bigger  and  bigger,  until  the  bark  can  no  longer  bear  the  strain. 
It  cracks  in  all  directions,  and  sometimes  peels  off." 

"I  have  often  noticed  how  rough  is  the  bark  of  most  trees." 

"New  bark  grows,  however,"  said  the  teacher.  "It  is  formed 
by  the  living  layer  called  the  cambium  layer.  If  this  layer  be 
destroyed,  the  tree  will  surely  die." 


1,  BARK;    2,  RING;    3,  PITH 


66  NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 

"What  are  those  lines  running  across  from  the  pith  to  the 
bark?"  asked  Tom  Brown,  who  had  eyes  for  everything. 

"I  don't  believe  you  will  remember  if  I  tell  you/7  said  his 
teacher;  "those  are  called  medullary  rays.     They  are  formed  of 
lighter  wood,   and  give  strength  to  the  stem.     Carpenters   like 
them,  for  they  give  that  grainy  look  to  furniture  which  makes  it 
so  pretty.     They  are  found  in  woody  di cotyledons. " 
"  Have  all  trees  stems  like  that  ?  "  asked  George  Hall. 
"Oh,  no;  only  trees  that  grow  from  dicotyledons,  like  the  oak, 
the  maple,  the  plum/7  replied  his  teacher. 

"Trees  that  grow  from  monocotyledons  have  stems  like  this;7' 
and  she  showed  a  cross  section  of  a  palm  tree,  while  one  of  the 
boys  drew  it  on  the  blackboard.     "  Here,  in- 
stead of  a  pith  and  medullary  rays,  there  are 
only  smooth  bark  and  loose  wood. 

"In    dicotyledons    the    bark    is    soft    and 
broken,   and   the  heartwood,  or  central  wood, 
CROSS  SECTION  OF        ig  strong  and  firm.     That  is  why  these  trees 

TRUNK  OF  PALM  TRKE        are  chogen  for  building  purposes. 

"In  monocotyledons  the  bark  is  hard  and  strong,  while  the 
center  is  soft  and  pulpy,  because  the  growth  is  all  outward  against 
the  bark,  and  the  wood  is  pressed  closer  and  closer  outward. 

"Dicotyledons  grow  outward,  and  are  called  exogens. 

"Monocotyledons  grow  inward,  and  are  called  endogens. 

"I  will  tell  you  a  true  story  to  prove  this  fact/7  said  the  teacher. 
"Two  workmen  had  been  employed  for  many  years  in  felling  timber 


NATURE  STUDY   MADE  EASY 


67 


in  Canada.  There,  most  of  the  trees  are  exogens,  and  yield  very 
slowly  to  the  saw.  The  bark  is  the  softest,  and  the  cutting  gets 
harder  as  one  nears  the  heartwood.  These  men  were  later  em- 
ployed to  cut  timber  in  the  West  Indies.  Here  most  of  the  trees 
are  endogens,  and  the  bark  wood  is  hard,  while  the  interior  is  soft 
and  easy  to  cut.  But  these  workmen  knew  nothing  of  this.  Accord- 
ingly they  started  at  their  work.  They  worked 
hard  for  an  hour  without  any  success.  ,  'I  give 
it  up/  said  the  first;  'there's  no  cutting  through 
this.' 

'Right/  said  his  comrade;    'if  this  is  the 

outside,  what  must  the  inside  be?     I  give  it  up, 

too.'      If    they    had    only   known   as   much   as 

Tom  Brown,  they  might  have  finished  their  task. 

"  Bamboo    and   sugar    cane    have    no    bark. 


CROSS  AND  LONGITU- 
DINAL SECTION  OP 
MONOCOTYLEDON 

STEM 


Their   hardest 


wood  is  on  the  outside.    They  are  only  giant  grasses." 


LANGUAGE  LESSON 

Draw  a  cross  section  of  an  exogen  six  years  old. 
Draw  a  cross  section  of  an  endogen  six  years  old. 
What  is  the  heartwood  ?      Which  trees  are  most  valuable  for  build- 
ing?    Why? 


68 


NATURE  STUDY   MADE   EASY 


LESSON  XXII 

LIFE  HISTORY  OF  A  PEACH 

The  peach  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  fruit 
trees.  Its  lovely  mellow  fruit  appears  smiling 
among  the  dark  green  leaves  in  the  early  fall. 
How  delicious  it  is !  We  eat  the  juicy  fruit 
and  throw  away  the  hard,  dented  kernel  that  we 
find  inside.  This  is  just  what  the  peach  wants 
us  to  do.  That  hard  stone  contains  a  very  pre- 
cious seed.  In  that  seed  is  the  baby  peach 
tree.  If  a  peach  stone  falls  in  a  suitable  place, 
it  will  by  and  by  be  pushed  into  the  moist 
ground.  There  it  will  lie  all  winter. 
In  the  spring  the  warm  rays  of  the  sun  will  reach  through  to  it ; 
the  rains  will  moisten  it,  and  by  and  by  the  hard  stone  will 
separate  into  two  halves,  and  the  real  seed  will  be  found  inside. 
Ijty  and  by  the  tough  skin  will  burst,  and  the  little  baby  peach 
tree  will  push  down  its  tiny  rootlets  into  the  ground,  and  will 
send  up  its  tiny  leaves  into  the  air.  In  a  short  time  more  leaves 
will  appear,  held  aloft  on  a  stem  about  one  inch  high.  The 
rootlets  will  push  down  the  same  distance  into  the  ground. 
After  a  few  years  it  will  bear  blossoms  and  fruit.  The  first  fruit 
found  on  the  tree  is  small  and  sour. 

The  best  peaches  are  obtained  by  "budding"  or  "grafting." 


PEACH  BLOSSOMS 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE   EASY 


69 


I  will  tell  you  what  " budding'7  means.  A  bud  is  cut  from  an 
old  tree  which  bears  peaches.  An  opening  is  made  in  the  bark 
of  the  new  peach  tree,  and  the  bud  is  inserted.  The  top  of 
the  little  peach  tree  is  then  cut  away, 
and  the  bud  grows  into  another  and 
stronger  peach  tree. 

When  this  tree  grows  strong,  it  is 
transplanted,  and  in  the  third  summer 
it  bears  lovely   pink  peach  blossoms. 
These  blossoms  produce  fruit,  and  we 
have  the  ripe,   rich,  juicy 
peach.      We   gather   these 
peaches  for  our  tables,  but 
the  stones  we  throw  away 
to  find  a  suitable  place  to 

Start    life   for    themselves.         SHIELD  BUD.        THE  BUD  GRAFTED.    THE  BUD  TIEE 


70  NATURE  STUDY   MADE  EASY 

LESSON   XXIII 
THE  PEACH  TREE'S   STORY 

One  day  in  August,  little  Florence  Stanwood  stood  under  a 
shady  peach  tree,  looking  up  at  the  red  and  yellow  fruit.  A  gust 
of  wind  shook  the  tree,  and  threw  down  into  her  hand  a  large, 
red,  ripe  peach.  "Oh,  you  pretty  peach!77  cried  Florence;  "you 
are  too  lovely  to  eat.  I  wish  the  tree  would  talk  to  me,  and  tell 
me  from  where  you  come.77 

"Would  you  like  to  hear  my  story,  little  girl?77  asked  the  peach 
tree.  "It  is  a  long  one.77 

"I  should  like  to  hear  it,77  replied  Florence;  "I  will  not  move 
till  you  have  finished.77 

"Five  years  ago,77  said  the  peach  tree,  "a  rosy  peach  was 
found  by  a  little  girl  like  you.  She  ate  the  ripe,  juicy  part,  and 
threw  away  the  hard  stone  on  the  ground,  near  by.  It  lay  there 
a  little  while,  then  it  sank  into  the  ground.  The  rain  fell  on  it, 
and  it  sank  deeper  and  deeper.  All  winter  it  lay  underground. 
In  spring,  the  hard,  stony  shell  burst  apart,  and  inside  was  a 
little  brown  kernel.  I  was  inside  that  brown  kernel,  in  between 
two  fat  seed  leaves.77 

"Poor  little  tree/7  sighed  Florence;  "were  you  crushed  and 
cold?77 

"Oh,  no,77  said  the  peach  tree;  "I  was  half  asleep.  By  and 
by,  the  warm  sun  came  out,  and  I  woke  up  and  looked  around. 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY  71 

Then  I  began  to  move.  I  pushed  out  between  the  seed  leaves,  and 
threw  down  a  tiny  rootlet ;  then  I  pushed  up  into  the  air  and  light, 
and  sent  up  a  tiny  leaf.  It  was  lovely !  I  looked  around  at  the 
world,  and  worked  hard  to  put  on  more  green  leaves.  I  drank  in 
the  pure  air  and  fresh  water.  I  grew  into  a  seedling." 
"What  fun,"  cried  Florence;  "Did  you  grow  quickly?" 
"Yes;  so  quickly  that  I  could  hardly  believe  it  was  myself. 
When  spring  came  again,  and  I  was  one  year  old,  a  man  came  one 
day  into  the  garden,  and  said,  'I  believe  this  would  be  a  good  time 
for  budding  this  peach  tree/  It  made  me  feel  important.  Then 
he  cut  a  little  opening  in  my  back  and  pushed  in  a  bud  of  a  bigger 
peach  tree.  It  grew  into  a  little  leaf  and  looked  as  if  it  belonged  to 
me,  and  I  tried  my  best  to  grow  up  tall  and  straight  and  hand- 


some." 


"Did  all  that  happen  in  this  very  garden?"   asked  Florence. 

"Oh,  no,"  replied  the  tree;  "as  well  as  I  remember,  I  was 
brought  here  later.  At  first,  I  grew  in  a  nursery,  with  a  number 
of  other  peach  trees.  We  all  stood  up  in  a  row  like  a  lot  of  sisters 
and  brothers,  and  grew  till  we  were  two  years  old.  Then  we  were 
dug  up  and  separated.  I  was  brought  here  and  carefully  placed  in 
the  ground.  The  soft,  moist  earth  was  pressed  closely  round  my 
roots  and  I  felt  quite  at  home." 

"Did  you  ever  have  lovely  pink  blossoms  like  some  peach 
trees?"  asked  Florence. 

"Yes,  certainly,"  replied  the  tree;  "but  not  till  I  was  larger 
and  stronger." 


72 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


"What  an  interesting  story !"  said  Florence.  "May  I  take 
your  peach  in  with  me  now,  that  I  may  tell  mamma  all  about 
you?"  So  saying,  Florence  caught  the  mellow  peach  in  her  soft 
little  hands,  and  carried  it  in  to  her  mother. 


LESSON  XXIV 

LIFE  HISTORY  OF  A  PLUM 

The  plum  is  a  juicy,  luscious  fruit.  Have 
you  ever  tasted  one?  Some  plums  are  green, 
some  are  purple,  some  are  red.  But  the  juicy, 
delicious  fruit  which  we  enjoy  is  only  a  case  or 
protection  for  the  true  seed.  That  is  hidden  in 
FLOWER  OF  PLUM  a  harc[  stone  most  difficult  to  crack.  This  kind 

of  fruit  is  called  a  drupe. 

Plums  grow  on  trees,  like  the 

apple    and    peach.     They    blossom 

in  the    spring,    grow   all    summer, 

and  are  ripe  in  the  fall.     Some  we 

gather  and  eat.     Some  drop  to  the 

ground  and  rot.     Some  are   eaten 

by  insects,  but  in  each  case  the  most  precious  part  —  the  stone  — 

finds  its  way  back  to  the  ground.     It  contains  the  seed,  which 

is  the  baby  plum  plant.    There  on  the  ground  it  softens,  bursts, 

and  in  time  the  seed  begins  to  grow. 


A  PLUM  AND  ITS  SEED 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY          73 

We  eat  the  juicy  covering  and  throw  away  the  seed.  If  it  falls 
in  the  right  place,  it  will  sink  into  the  earth.  There  it  will  rest  all 
winter.  The  seed  ripens,  and,  by  the  time  spring  comes,  the  hard, 
stony  case  is  ready  to  split.  The  seed  swells  and  bursts,  and  then 
the  baby  plant  begins  to  grow,  just  like  the  apple  seedling. 

First,  a  tiny  pair  of  green  leaves  appears  above  ground.  Then 
a  tiny  root  shoots  down.  Soon  this  grows  into  a  seedling.  This 
is  the  beginning  of  a  plum  tree. 

Our  best  plums  are  obtained  by  grafting  a  young  bud  on  a  good 
strong  tree,  just  as  we  graft  a  peach  bud. 

The  Tree 

The  Tree's  early  leaf  buds  were  bursting  their  brown; 
"Shall  I  take  them  away?"  said  the  Frost,  sweeping  down. 

"No,  let  them  alone 

"  Till  the  blossoms  have  grown," 
Prayed  the  Tree,  while  it  trembled  from  rootlet  to  crown. 

The  Tree  bore  its  blossoms  and  all  the  birds  sung; 
"Shall  I  take  them  away?"  said  the  Wind,  as  it  swung. 

"No,  let  them  alone 

"  Till  the  berries  have  grown," 
Said  the  Tree,  while  its  leaflets,  quivering,  hung. 

The  Tree  bore  its  fruit  in  the  midsummer  glow; 

Said  the  Girl,  "May  I  gather  thy  sweet  berries  now?" 

"Yes,  all  thou  canst  see; 

"Take  them;  all  are  for  thee," 
Said  the  Tree,  while  it  bent  down  its  laden  boughs  low. 

—  BJORNSTJERNE  BJORNS 


- 


74  NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 

LESSON  XXV 

LIFE  HISTORY  OF  AN  APPLE 

What  plant  we  in  this  apple  tree  ? 
Buds,  which  the  heat  of  summer  days 
Shall  lengthen  into  leafy  sprays; 
Boughs  where  the  thrush,  with  crimson  breast, 
Shall  haunt,  and  sing,  and  hide  her  nest ; 

We  plant,  upon  the  sunny  lea, 
A  shadow  for  the  noontide  hour, 
A  shelter  from  the  summer  shower, 

When  we  plant  the  apple  tree. 

Do  you  know  why  our  own  poet,  William  Cullen  Bryant,  wrote 
those  lines  about  the  apple  tree  ? 

Who  has  eaten  a  ripe,  rosy  apple?  Did  you  enjoy  the  deli- 
cious fruit?  Do  you  know  where  it  grew?  Upon  an  apple  tree 
among  many  others,  also  ripe  and  rosy.  Have  you  ever  seen  an 

apple  tree  growing  ?  It  is  quite  unlike  the 
tall  pine  or  the  sturdy  forest  oak.  It  is  a 
fruit  tree.  Apple  trees  grow  in  orchards, 
planted  by  the  farmer.  The  branches  are 
thick  and  stout  and  irregular.  The  trees 
do  not  grow  very  high. 
APPLE  BLOSSOM  In  the  winter  the  branches  are  bare, 

and  you  can  easily  see  the  short  twigs  with  buds  at  the  end  of 
each.     You  can  tell  just  how  much  each  twig  grows  in  a  year 


NATURE  STUDY   MADE  EASY 


75 


by  looking  at  the  circular  scars  left  by  last  year's  buds.  Each 
bud  is  covered  during  the  winter  with  short,  glossy  scales,  with 
fine,  soft  wool  around  the  edge 
to  protect  the  little  leaves  in- 
side. When  the  warm  spring  air 
touches  them,  they  throw  off 
the  woolly,  downy  covering,  and 
the  tiny  leaf  buds  come  forth. 
Then  the  flower  buds  burst 
out,  and  we  see  the  tree  cov- 
ered with  clusters  of  beautiful 
white  and  pink  flowers,  which 
make  lovely  bouquets  all  over 
the  green  tree.  Here  is  a  bunch  of  apple  blossoms  just  come  out. 
The  apple  blossoms  bloom  in  the  month  of  May.  Then  they 
drop,  and  the  pretty  white  leaves  look  like  a  shower  of  snowflakes 
falling  in  the  wind,  but  they  have  left  behind  the  most  important 


part  of  the  flower, 
of  green    leaves 
stamens  standing 
remains  of  the 
the   apple  fruit  is 


That  is  a  knob  with  a  number 
around  it,  and  some  little  spiked 
up  in  a  circle.  This  gsjbjL  is  the 
calyx,  or  cup,  below  {*m  which 
beginning  to  grow.  It  IT  grows 
and  grows,  getting  rosy  and  fleshy  and  juicy,  and  one  ^  day  in 
the  fall  it  has  grown  into  a  beautiful  round  apple.  At  the  top 
you  can  still  see  the  dried  leaves  of  the  old  calyx,  which  do  not 
fall  off. 


76 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


Some  day,  when  you  have  a  nice  round  apple,  cut  it  across, 
and  you  will  see  five  divisions,  or  cells,  with  two  little  brown  seeds 
in  each.  When  the  seeds  are  ripe,  they  will  fall  and  sink  into  the 
ground,  and  produce  new  apple  trees,  just  like  any  other  seed. 


LONGITUDINAL  SECTION 


CROSS  SECTION 


You  can  plant  several  of  these  ripe  seeds  yourself,  and  see 
how  soon  they  will  burst  and  send  up  leaves. 

Apple  trees  are  generally  planted  in  rows  in  orchards.  They 
are  grown  for  the  sake  of  the  fruit,  which  is  sent  to  the  market. 
Sometimes  apple  trees  are  found  growing  on  the  roadside.  These 
grow  from  seeds  that  have  been  carried  by  birds,  and  usually  bear 
small,  wild  apples. 


NATURE  STUDY   MADE  EASY 


77 


APPLE  SPRIG 


LESSON  XXVI 

THE  APPLE  TREE 

How  pretty  is  a  sprig   of   an  apple  tree! 

Whether  it  be  a  sprig  bearing  spring  blossoms, 

or  a  sprig  showing  its   winter   buds,   it    is   a 

pleasing  sight  to  behold. 

Have  you  ever  noticed  the  scars  on  an  apple 

twig  ?    They  mark  the  place  of  last  year's  buds. 

From  one  scar  to  another  scar  marks  a  year's 
growth.  You  can  tell  the  age  of  a  branch  by  counting  its  scars. 
An  apple  twig  bears  two  kinds  of  buds  —  leaf  buds  and  flower 
buds.  The  leaf  buds  are  single,  and  are  protected  by  soft,  fine 
down  to  keep  them  warm  in  winter.  In 
the  spring  they  burst  into  pretty  green 
leaves. 

The  flower  buds  come  in  clusters. 
They  are  protected  by  five  green  sepals 
covered  with  down.  In  the  spring  they 
burst  out  into  round,  white  blossoms. 
Each  blossom  has  five  scented  white 
petals,  tinged  with  red  on  the  outside. 
They  protect  the  stamens,  which  are  in- 
side, and  the  very  young  seeds,  which  are 
at  the  base  of  the  flower.  FRUITING  BUDS 


78 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


As  the  summer  advances,   bees  visit  the  flowers,  and  scat- 
ter the  pollen,  which  ripens  the  seeds. 

By  and  by  the  top  of  the  flower  stem  swells  till  it  is  round 

and  full,  closing  in  the 
little  seeds  which  are 
safely  packed  away 
in  five  little  cells, 
protected  by  strong 
walls. 

In  the  fall  the  ap- 
ple is  fit  to  be  eaten. 
The  little  seeds  are 
now  ripe,  and  ready 
to  fall  out  and  make 
new  apple  trees.  We 
eat  the  juicy  apple, 
which  is  the  swollen 
top  of  the  flower  stalk, 


and  throw  away  the 
AN  APPLE  TREE  core    with    the    hard 

brown  seeds,  or  pips.  This  is  just  what  the  apple  wants  us  to  do. 
The  seeds  fall  on  to  the  ground,  or  are  scattered  by  the  wind. 
By  and  by  they  sink  into  the  soil,  and  a  new  apple  tree 
springs  up. 

The   best  apples  are  obtained  by  grafting   young  buds  on 
stocks. 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY  79 


LANGUAGE  LESSON 

What  kind  of  tree  is  an  apple  tree  ? 

What  are  the  scars  on  the  branches  ? 

What  kind  of  buds  do  apple  trees  form  ? 

When  do  the  blossoms  form  ? 

When  does  the  fruit  form  ?     Tell  something  about  it. 

The  Planting  of  the  Apple  Tree 

Come,  let  us  plant  the  apple  tree. 
Cleave  the  tough  greensward  with  the  spade; 
Wide  let  its  hollow  bed  be  made; 
There  gently  lay  the  roots,  and  there 
Sift  the  dark  mold  with  kindly  care, 

And  press  it  o'er  them  tenderly, 
As,  round  the  sleeping  infant's  feet, 
We  softly  fold  the  cradle  sheet ; 

So  plant  we  the  apple  tree. 

What  plant  we  in  this  apple  tree  ? 
Buds,  which  the  breath  of  summer  days 
Shall  lengthen  into  leafy  sprays ; 
Boughs  where  the  thrush,  with  crimson  breast, 
Shall  haunt  and  sing  and  hide  her  nest ; 

We  plant,  upon  the  sunny  lea, 
A  shadow  for  the  noontide  hour, 
A  shelter  from  the  summer  shower, 

When  we  plant  the  apple  tree. 

What  plant  we  in  this  apple  tree  ? 
Sweets  for  a  hundred  flowery  springs 
To  load  the  May  wind's  restless  wings, 


80  NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 

When,  from  the  orchard  row,  he  pours 
Its  fragrance  through  our  open  doors ; 

A  world  of  blossoms  for  the  bee, 
Flowers  for  the  sick  girl's  silent  room, 
For  the  glad  infant  sprigs  of  bloom, 

We  plant  with  the  apple  tree. 

What  plant  we  in  this  apple  tree  ? 
Fruits  that  shall  swell  in  sunny  June, 
And  redden  in  the  August  noon, 
And  drop,  when  gentle  airs  come  by, 
That  fan  the  blue  September  sky, 

While  children  come,  with  cries  of  glee, 
And  seek  them  where  the  fragrant  grass 
Betrays  their  bed  to  those  who  pass, 

At  the  foot  of  the  apple  tree. 

And  when,  above  this  apple  tree, 
The  winter  stars  are  quivering  bright, 
And  winds  go  howling  through  the  night, 
Girls,  whose  young  eyes  o'erflow  with  mirth, 
Shall  peel  its  fruit  by  cottage  hearth, 

And  guests  in  prouder  homes  shall  see, 
Heaped  with  the  grape  of  Cintra's  vine 
And  golden  orange  of  the  line, 

The  fruit  of  the  apple  tree. 


WILLIAM  CULLEN  BRYANT. 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


81 


LESSON  XXVII 

EVERGREEN   TREES 

Evergreen  trees!  That  is  a  pleasing 
name  —  the  tree  that  is  ever  green.  It 
does  not  change  its  color  or  loosen  its 
leaves  and  bare  itself  in  the  autumn 
winds.  No,  it  bravely  resists  the  winds. 
It  tells  its  pretty  green  leaves  to  hold  on 
tightly.  It  gathers  them  in  little  bunches, 
so  that  one  helps  the  other  to  present  a 
brave  front,  and  then,  when  all  the  forest 
trees  and  fruit  trees  and  shade  trees  are 
bare,  the  evergreen  tree  is  covered  with 
leaves. 

Why  do  the  leaves  remain  green? 
Why  do  they  cling  so  tightly  to  the  old 
mother  tree?  It  is  one  of  Mother  Nature's  beautiful  laws  that, 
when  her  summer  children  of  the  forests  fall  asleep,  her  winter 
children  shall  keep  wide  awake  and  full  of  life. 

Back  of  the  bark  of  these  trees,  the  pines  and  the  firs,  there 
are  pipes  and  reservoirs  of  sticky  turpentine  juice.  Each  fir  has 
its  own  way  of  making  its  juice.  This  juice  makes  the  resin  and 
the  turpentine  and  the  balsam  we  use. 

Have  you  ever  seen  a  grate  fire  piled  with  pine  logs?    How  it 


82  NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 

burns !  How  bright  are  the  sparks !  It  is  the  resin  that  the 
plant  has  stored  that  burns  so  brightly.  Have  you  ever  made  a 
bonfire  of  your  Christmas  tree  ?  After  the  fun  of  the  present-giving 
is  over,  comes  the  fun  of  the  bonfire.  How  the  leaves  crackle  and 
burn ! 

In  olden  times,  when  a  torchlight  procession  was  held,  the 
Scottish  chiefs  used  pine  torches  to  light  the  way. 

Have  you  ever  seen  amber  ?  It  is  often  cut  into  beads  which 
are  worn  as  necklaces.  Do  you  know  that  the  piece  of  amber  from 
which  those  necklaces  were  cut  was  once  the  juice  of  a  pine  tree? 
Some  great  pines  once  grew  on  the  shores  of  the  Baltic  Sea,  in  the 
north  of  Europe  (some  still  grow  there),  and  they  dropped  their 
gummy  juice  on  the  ground.  This  became  hardened  by  the  cold 
air,  and  formed  into  the  beautiful  transparent  stones  which  we 
now  proudly  wear  as  necklaces  and  bracelets. 

Pine  and  fir  trees  are  very  generous.  They  give  us  tar,  tur- 
pentine, resin,  balsam,  and  amber,  while  they  live,  and  when  they 
are  cut  down,  they  give  us  wood  to  make  our  houses,  floors, 
and  desks.  Most  of  our  school  desks  are  made  from  the  pine 
trees. 

The  wood  of  the  fir  tree  is  not  quite  as  strong  as  that  of  the  pine, 
and  when  cut  up  it  is  called  "deal."  Think  of  the  things  that 
you  know  are  made  of  deal.  Chairs,  tables,  boxes,  floors,  are  often 
made  of  deal. 

Most  of  the  evergreen  trees  grow  in  the  forests  or  on  the  hill- 
sides of  cold  regions. 


NATURE  STUDY   MADE  EASY 


83 


SUGGESTED  WORK  FOR  CLASS 

Tell  the  story  of  an  amber  necklace. 

Find  on  your  maps  the  Baltic  Sea. 

How  far  is  it  from  New  York  ? 

Find  on  your  maps  places  where  evergreens  grow. 

Make  a  list  of  things  made  from  the  fir  tree. 

Make  a  list  of  things  made  from  the  pine  tree. 


LESSON  XXVIII 

THE   PINE   FAMILY:    PART   I 

The  pines  are  the  most  important 
evergreen   trees.     To   the   pine  family 
belong  not  only  the  true  pines,  but  the 
firs,    spruces,    hemlocks,    larches,    and 
cedars.    The  leaves  on  these  trees  are 
protected  by  resin,  which  is  sometimes 
fragrant,  as  in  the  fir  balsam.     They 
do  not  fall  at  the  approach  of  winter, 
like  the  leaves  of  deciduous  trees,  but 
they  fall  at  irregular  times. 
The  fruit  is  called  a  cone.     It  grows  like  a  twig,  only  instead  of 
forming  leaves,  it  forms  scales,  which  overlap  and  flatten  and  bear 
the  seeds.    A  pine  nut  is  smooth  on  the  outside.     Cut  away  the 


PINE  TREE 


84 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


shell,  and  the  kernel  looks  like  a  small  egg  with  a  cap  on  one  end. 
Cut  this  kernel  in  two,  and  you  will  find  in  the  center  the  tiny 


PISTILLATE  CONE  OF 
NORWAY  SPRUCE 


PISTILLATE  CONE  OF 
WHITE  PINE 


PINE  SEEDLING 


new  plant,  which  is  sometimes  green  at  one  end.  Plant  one,  and 
instead  of  one  leaf,  like  the  wheat,  coming  up,  or  two  leaves,  like 
the  maple,  a  circle  of  leaves  will  come  up. 


CEDAR  TREE 


SPRUCE  TREE 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


85 


When  the  young  tree  begins  to  branch,  buds  form  in  a  circle, 
and  become  a  circle  of  branches.  The  middle  bud  is  stronger  than 
any  of  the  others,  and  it  forms  the  trunk  of  the  tree. 

The  true  pine  is  an  evergreen.  It  has  leaves  which  grow  in 
groups  of  from  two  to  five  wrapped  together.  The  cones  are  thick 
and  woody.  At  the  base  of  the  leaves  are  some  thin,  dry,  hard 
scales. 


PITCH  PINE 


HEMLOCK 


BALSAM  FIR 

The  spruce  and  hemlock  have  single  leaves  attached  to  little 
ridges  on  the  stem. 

I  am  sure  you  would  like  to  be  able  to  distinguish  the  best 
known  members  of  the  pine  family,  and  to  know  the  difference 
between  a  true  pine,  a  spruce  tree,  a  hemlock,  a  balsam  fir,  a  cedar, 
and  a  cypress.  All  these  trees  bear  cones. 

SUGGESTED  WORK  FOR  CLASS 

Bring  in  sprays  of  the  pine,  hemlock,  spruce,  balsam  fir,  cedar.     Draw. 
Bring  in  cones.     Compare  them.     Draw  them. 
What  is  the  difference  between  leaves  of  white  pine  and  hemlock? 
What  is  the  difference  between  cones  of  the  balsam  fir  and  hemlock? 


86  NATURE  STUDY   MADE  EASY 

LESSON  XXIX 

THE  PINE   FAMILY:    PART  II 

Oak  trees  bear  acorns.  Apple  trees  bear  apples.  Pine  trees 
bear  cones.  Just  as  the  acorn  holds  the  seed  of  the  oak,  and  the 
apple  holds  the  seed  of  the  apple  tree,  so  the  cones  hold  the  seeds 
of  the  pine  trees.  If  you  lift  up  the  scales  on  the  cone,  you  will 
find  a  winged  seed  under  each  scale.  When  the  cones  are  ripe,  the 
scales  open,  and  the  seeds  drop  out  and  are  caught  by  the  wind. 
The  wind  carries  them  away,  and  after  a  while  lets  them  fall,  so 
that  they  may  grow  into  new  pine  trees. 

There  are  many  kinds  of  pine  trees.  Some  of  them  bear  large, 
sweet  seeds  which  are  called  "pine  nuts."  The  valuable  white  pine 
trees  which  used  to  grow  in  the  northern  part  of  the  United  States 
produced  a  soft  white  wood,  which  could  be  easily  carved.  People 
have  thoughtlessly  cut  down  these  pine  trees. 

The  pine  trees  which  grow  in  the  southern  part  of  the  United 
States  produce  a  dark  yellow  wood.  It  is  very  hard,  and  is  used 
for  building  purposes. 

A  pine  forest  is  always  a  delightful  place.  When  the  sun  shines 
on  the  trees,  they  fill  the  air  with  a  healthful  fragrance. 

New  Jersey  is  noted  for  its  pine  forests,  and  people  often  go  to 
these  regions  to  breathe  the  rich  odor  of  the  pines. 

Pine  timber  is  valuable  on  account  of  its  strength  and  lightness. 
It  is  found  in  forests  all  over  the  world.  Germany  has  many  for- 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY  87 

ests  of  pine.  America  has  forests  of  yellow  pine  and  white  pine, 
and  Canada  has  forests  of  red  pine. 

Every  part  of  the  pine  tree  is  of  value.  The  tall  timber  is  use- 
ful for  shipbuilding.  The  sap  gives  tar,  resin,  and  turpentine. 
The  leaves  are  pressed  for  their  aromatic  perfume.  The  inner 
bark  is  used  in  some  countries  for  food.  Pine  wool  is  sometimes 
made  from  the  leaves.  In  many  countries  the  seeds  are  eaten  for 
dessert. 

The  sap  is  obtained  by  cutting  the  trees,  but  if  the  same  trees 
are  cut  three  years  in  succession,  they  will  die.  It  is  wrong  to 
destroy  these  valuable  trees.  So  the  turpentine  makers  move 
their  camps  at  the  end  of  each  year,  and  give  the  trees  a  chance 
to  recover  their  growth. 

We  should  protect  our  trees  and  never  willfully  destroy  them. 

LANGUAGE  LESSON 

What  is  the  seed  of  the  pine  called  ? 

Where  are  the  seeds  placed  ? 

How  are  they  scattered  ? 

Say  something  about  the  different  pine  trees,  —  the  pine  trees  of  South 
America,  of  the  northern  United  States,  of  the  southern  United  States. 

Why  is  the  pine  tree  of  value?  Name  some  uses  of  the  timber,  sap, 
leaves,  bark,  and  seed  of  the  pine. 

How  is  turpentine  obtained  ? 


88  NATURE  STUDY   MADE  EASY 

LESSON  XXX 

FORESTS  AND   HOW  TO  PRESERVE  THEM 

When  we  study  our  beautiful  native  trees,  how  we  learn  to  love 
them,  and  how  we  wish  to  preserve  and  protect  them ! 

America  once  was  famous  for  her  great  forests.  They  were 
thought  to  be  inexhaustible.  But  this  is  a  mistake ;  young 
timber  cannot  grow  as  rapidly  as  old  timber  can  be  cut  down. 

We  depend  on  our  trees  for  many  things.     You  know  timber 

is  required  for  building,  for  fencing,  for  manufacturing.     Timber 

is  used  for  railroad  ties  and  for  fuel.    The  bark  of  trees  is  used  in 

tanning  leather.     Trees  are  tapped  —  and  often  carelessly  tapped 

-  for  turpentine,  pitch,  and  sugar. 

So  you  see  there  are  many  reasons  why  we  should  preserve  our 
trees. 

Trees  not  only  give  us  many  useful  things,  but  they  are  helpful 
to  the  country  at  large.  They  keep  off  cold  winds,  and  so  help  to 
keep  the  ground  warm.  In  northern  Illinois,  the  climate  was  so 
altered  by  the  removal  of  the  forest  trees,  that  the  peach  crops 
almost  failed.  Winter  wheat,  which  failed  in  open  fields,  was  suc- 
cessful when  protected  by  woods. 

In  winter,  trees  keep  off  the  cold  winds,  and  in  summer  they 
reduce  the  heat  and  lessen  the  effect  of  violent  storms. 

Forests  help  to  attract  moisture,  and  the  rain  sinks  into  the 
ground,  and  makes  springs  and  streams.  These  moisten  the 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY  89 

earth  and  make  the  soil  fertile.  In  this  way  trees  prevent 
droughts. 

Trees,  too,  make  homes  for  birds.  Birds  destroy  the  insects 
that  injure  the  crops,  so  trees  really  increase  our  crops  by  sheltering 
birds. 

Trees,  by  their  strong  roots,  hold  together  soil  and  mold,  and 
thus  they  are  useful  in  preventing  landslides. 

But,  useful  though  they  are,  trees  are  often  thoughtlessly  cut 
down.  Forest  fires  destroy  many  valuable  trees. 

Our  government  has  taken  measures  to  preserve  trees.  Every 
encouragement  is  given  to  plant  them.  The  children  in  our  public 
schools  have  a  day  set  apart  for  planting  trees.  We  place  them 
around  our  schools  and  in  our  parks. 

Strict  regulations  are  also  made  to  control  forest  fires  and 
prevent  their  spreading.  Laws  are  passed  to  prevent  the  cutting  of 
trees  on  public  lands.  By  such  means  we  hope  to  preserve  our 
young  trees. 

Boys  and  girls  should  do  all  they  can  to  help  our  government 

in  saving  our  trees. 

LANGUAGE  LESSON 

Of  what  use  are  forests  ? 

Why  should  we  protect  trees? 

Give  any  methods  used  in  our  public  schools  to  encourage  care  of  trees; 

or 
Tell  the  story  of  the  planting  of  a  tree  on  Arbor  Day; 

or 

Write  a  letter  to  a  friend,  telling  what  was  done  in  your  school  on 
Arbor  Day. 


90 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


Talking  in  their  Sleep 

"You  think  I  am  dead/7 

The  apple  tree  said, 
"  Because  I  have  never  a  leaf  to  show  - 

Because  I  stoop, 

And  my  branches  droop, 
And  the  dull  gray  mosses  over  me  grow  \ 
But  I'm  all  alive  in  trunk  and  shoot; 

The  buds  of  next  May 

I  fold  away  — 
But  I  pity  the  withered  grass  at  my  root. 

"  You  think  I  am  dead/' 

The  quick  grass  said, 
"  Because  I  have  parted  with  stem  and  blade  — 

But  under  the  ground 

I  am  safe  and  sound 

With  the  snow's  thick  blanket  over  me  laid. 
I'm  all  alive,  and  ready  to  shoot, 

Should  the  spring  of  the  year 

Come  dancing  here  — 
But  I  pity  the  flower  without  branches  or  root." 

"You  think  I  am  dead," 

A  soft  voice  said, 
"  Because  not  a  branch  or  root  I  own ! 

I  never  have  died, 

But  close  I  hide 

In  a  plumy  seed  that  the  wind  has  sown. 
Patient  I  wait  through  the  long  winter  hours, 

You  will  see  me  again  — 

I  shall  laugh  at  you,  then, 
Out  of  the  eyes  of  a  hundred  flowers." 

—  EDITH  M.  THOMAS. 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


91 


LESSON  XXXI 

FLOWERLESS  PLANTS  — FERNS,   MOSSES,   MUSHROOMS 

Ferns,  mosses,  and  mushrooms  belong  to  the  lowest  order  of 

plants.     They  do  not  bear  flowers  nor  real  seeds.     In   place  of 

seeds,  they  produce    a  tiny  grain       Q 
called  a  spore.   These  spores  can  be    A  SPOKE 
found  in  little  brown  cases,  which  look  like 
dots,  on  the  edges  of  the  fronds.    They  can 
sometimes  be  found  running  lengthwise  down 
the  center  of  the  leaflets. 
In     the    Mosses    the 
spores  are  borne  aloft  in 
little  capsules  on  the  top 
of    a    long,    leafy    stem. 
This  capsule  is    covered 

with   a  hood   somewhat  like  a   cornucopia  in 

shape.     This  hood  falls  off  when  the  spores  are 

ripe.     Then  the  capsule  bends  over  and  upsets 

the  spores,  which,  as  they  fall  on  damp  ground, 

begin  to  take  in  food.     Then  they  form  a  kind 

of  scum,  which  looks  like  tiny  white  threads. 

By  and  by  a  bud  appears,  and  from  this  bud 

the  new  moss  stem  grows. 

Moss  CAPSULE  SHED- 

In  the  Mushroom,  the  spores  are  found  be-         DING  SPORES 


FRUITING  FROND  OF  A 
CHRISTMAS  FERN 


92 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


FALLEN  SPORES 


These  rap- 


tween  the  gills.     If  you  place  a  piece  of  white  paper  under  a 
ripening  mushroom,  you  will  see  lines  of  these  little  spores,  just 

as  they    fell    from  the  gills.     When 
ripe,  the  spores  fall,  x          ' 

and  form   a    kind    ^.    \  \  /   ,  '  ,•' 
of   white,    thread-     . .  1 .  ^'&  '-  -  - 
like  growth,  called        .''  /'\^  * 
spawn.       After  /','    ^    , 

much  feeding,  this 
spawn  produces 
tiny  balls,  or  "buttons." 

SPORES  AND  GILLS  OF  MUSHROOM        idly    grOW    to    mushrooms. 

The  fronds  of  the  Fern  are  generally  of  a  delicate  green,  and 
are  gracefully  shaped.  There  are  thousands  of  varieties  of  these 
beautiful,  graceful  plants.  They  grow  in  all  parts  of  the  world. 
We  consider  them  to  be  amongst  our  most  beautiful  home  decora- 
tions. The  French  bracken,  which  grows  in  the  British  Isles,  is 
celebrated  for  its  beauty.  It  bears  its  seeds  in  spikes.  The  leaves 
have  a  reddish  hue.  In  Ireland  it  is  called  "The  Flower  Prince  of 
Ferns." 

Sir  Walter  Scott,  the  great  writer,  found  some  among  the  Lakes 
of  Killarney,  covering  one  of  the  islands,  and  he  exclaimed,  "This 
is  worth  traveling  miles  to  see." 

Mosses  show  various  shades  of  green.  Some  are  white  or  gray- 
green,  others  are  dark  red  or  brownish  green.  Though  they  do 
not  bear  flowers,  they  are  a  pleasing  addition  to  the  landscape, 


MATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


93 


covering  bare   places   with   velvet   carpets  and  mats   of   green. 
Some  are  so  small  that  they  cannot  be  seen  with  the  naked  eye. 
Mushrooms  are  of  a  lower  class,  and  they  are  not  ornamental 
in  any  sense.    They  are  of  use  as  foods,  or  for 
flavoring. 

Mold,  or  mildew,  which  grows  on  stale  bread 
and  other  things  which  are  left  in  the  damp,  is 
a  sort  of  mushroom  fungi. 


TRUE  Moss 
(natural  size)  BLACK  MOLD  OF  BREAD  (greatly  enlarged) 

Mushrooms,  ferns,  and  mosses  are  land  plants.  Though  they 
choose  damp,  dark  places  for  growth,  they  must  have  soil. 

We  must  not  confuse  the  algce,  or  seaweed,  found  on  the  sea- 
shore in  red,  green,  or  brown  masses,  with  mosses.  They  are 
water-plants,  not  mosses.  The  alga?  bear  seeds  and  flowers. 
Neither  is  the  "hanging  moss"  of  Florida  a  true  moss.  It  also 
bears  seeds  and  flowers.  True  mosses  have  neither  seeds  nor 
flowers. 


94  NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


LANGUAGE  LESSON 

What  kind  of  plants  are  ferns,  mosses,  mushrooms? 

How  do  ferns  reproduce  ? 

How  do  mosses  reproduce  ? 

How  do  mushrooms  reproduce  ?    - 

Which  of  these  are  ornamental  ?     How  ? 

What  is  mold? 

or 

Tell  something  about  the  mosses:  (a)  their  color;   (6)  their  spores; 
(c)  where  they  grow. 

Suppose 

How  dreary  would  the  meadows  be 
In  the  pleasant  summer  light, 
Suppose  there  wasn't  a  bird  to  sing, 
And  suppose  the  grass  were  white ! 

And  dreary  would  the  garden  be 
With  all  its  flowery  trees, 
Suppose  there  were  no  butterflies, 
And  suppose  there  were  no  bees. 

And  what  would  all  the  beauty  be, 
And  what  the  song  that  cheers, 
Suppose  we  hadn't  any  eyes, 
And  suppose  we  hadn't  ears ! 

For  though  the  grass  were  gay  and  green, 
And  song  birds  filled  the  glen, 
And  the  air  were  purple  with  butterflies, 
What  good  would  they  do,  then  ? 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY  95 

Ah,  think  of  it,  my  little  friends, 
And  when  some  pleasure  flies, 
Why,  let  it  go,  and  still  be  glad 
That  you  have  your  ears  and  eyes. 

—  ALICE  GARY. 


LESSON  XXXII 

MOSSES 

Have  you  ever  walked  on  Nature's  carpet  of  green  moss?  No 
carpet  that  we  make  is  softer  to  the  feet  or  more  velvety  to  the 
touch. 

This  soft  carpet  is  formed  of  thousands  of  tiny  plants,  growing 
on  short  stems.  They  are  the  mosses. 

Mosses  grow  in  tufts  in  cool,  moist  places,  —  in  woods,  on  the 
trunks  of  trees,  on  rock.  They  are  to  be  found  wherever  they  can 
find  room  and  food  for  their  tiny  roots. 

Here  is  a  patch  of  moss.  It  is  the  month  of  August,  and  the 
moss  is  in  fruit.  These  tall  stalks  bear  each  on  the  top  a  capsule 
or  moss  spore.  Each  stalk  rises  up  from  the  leafy  stem,  with  a 
capsule  covered  with  a  large  pointed  hood.  It  looks  like  a  wheat 
seed  turned  upside  down.  If  you  take  off  the  hood,  you  will  find 
the  capsule  with  a  lid  on  the  end.  Lift  off  the  lid  with  a  pin. 
This  is  full  of  dusty  powder  like  pollen.  These  are  the  moss  spores, 
which  will  later  produce  new  moss  plants. 

You  can  see  them  as  a  kind  of  green  coating  on  decayed  wood 
or  moist  soil.  Have  you  ever  noticed  them? 


96 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


HAIR  Moss 


There  are  very  many  varieties  of  mosses. 
The  Hair  Moss  is  a  wonderful  little  plant. 
It  grows  on  the  summits  of  hills  or  in 
marshy  places.  In  Lapland  it  forms  food 
for  the  reindeer  or  bedding  for  the  Lap- 
landers. It  is  soft  and  elastic,  and  serves 
both  for  bed  and  covering. 

The   Bog   Moss   covers   deep  bogs  with 
its  spongy  mats  and  makes  good  vegetable 
mold  and  fertile  soil.     In  Ireland  and  Scot- 
land the  poor  use  it  for  fuel. 

The  Feather  Moss  grows  in  shady  places  and  is  very  small.  It 
is  said  that  Mungo  Park,  the  great  African  explorer,  when  on  his 
travels  once  lost  his  way.  He  was  so  wearied  and  exhausted  that 
he  lay  down  dejected,  and  was  on  the  point  of  despair.  He  was  in 
the  midst  of  a  wild  country,  surrounded  by  savage  animals  and 
savage  men.  "I  was  ready  to  lie  down 
and  die,"  he  wrote.  Just  at  that  mo- 
ment his  eye  fell  on  a  carpet  of  moss. 
He  picked  one  of  the  small  plants  and 
examined  it.  The  beauty  of  the  pale 
green  plants,  the  perfect  leaves,  all  so 
fondly  tended,  made  him  feel  that  his 
Heavenly  Father,  who  had  formed  the  tiny  plant  and  preserved  it 
in  this  desert  place,  would  not  abandon  him.  He  gained  new 
hope  and  strength,  and  arising,  went  on  his  journey. 


BOG  Moss 


NATURE  STUDY   MADE  EASY  97 

Go,  then,  into  the  wood  and  lanes,  and  collect  these  beautiful 
mosses,  which  strike  their  tiny  roots  into  the  soil,  and  fix  themselves 
in  any  crevice  they  can  find.  Bring  them  home  and  care  for  them. 

These  tiny  mosses  have  many  uses.  They  appear  before  the 
blossoms,  and  they  remain  long  after  the  summer  flowers  have 
gone.  They  make  storehouses  for  wandering  insects.  The  birds 
use  their  leaves  to  build  their  nests,  and  they  feed  on  the  moss 
spores.  They  make  rich  mold  and  keep  the  soil  moist  around 
roots  of  ferns  and  bushes.  Their  matted  roots  protect  the  rocks 
on  which  they  grow  from  falling  apart. 

Have  you  ever  noticed  how  difficult  it  is  to  pull  apart  the  roots 
of  mosses  ?  Small  as  they  are,  the  roots  strike  so  firmly  into  rocks 
and  stone  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  move  them. 

The  Moss 

There  is  a  fresh  and  lovely  sight, 
A  beauteous  heap,  a  hill  of  moss, 
Just  half  a  foot  in  height. 
All  lovely  colors  there  you  see, 
All  colors  that  were  ever  seen  ; 
And  mossy  network  too  is  there, 
As  if  by  hand  of  lady  fair 
The  work  had  woven  been. 

Ah  me !  what  lovely  tints  are  there 
Of  olive  green  and  scarlet  bright. 
In  spikes,  in  branches,  and  in  stars, 
Green,  red,  and  pearly  white ! 

—  WILLIAM  WORDSWORTH,  Adapted. 


98  NATURE  STUDY   MADE  EASY 

LESSON  XXXIII 

THE  MOUNTAIN  FERN  AND  THE  MOORLAND  MOSS 

High  on  a  mountain  grew  a  noble  fern.  It  unrolled  its  long 
fronds  in  the  morning  light  and  spread  out  its  graceful  leaves  on 
every  side.  Down  on  the  moor  grew  a  poor  little  moss,  slowly  creep- 
ing in  the  shadow  of  the  mountain.  The  fern  looked  out  in  its 
pride  on  the  lowly  moss,  and  said,  "You  poor,  miserable  little 
thing,  how  do  you  live  down  there?  I  scorn  such  lowly  places." 

"I  am  happy,"  said  the  moss,  "for  I  am  contented.  I  prefer 
the  moor  to  the  mountain  height.  The  sun  shines  on  me  as  it  does 
on  you,  and  the  dews  of  the  night  glisten  on  my  leaves  as  they  do 
on  yours."  She  shook  her  little  leaves  with  such  an  air  of  inde- 
pendence, that  the  dews  scattered  in  all  directions. 

"Oh,"  said  the  fern,  haughtily,  "I  prefer  my  position.  From 
here  I  can  look  out  on  the  whole  world." 

Just  at  that  moment  a  strong  gale  of  wind  arose.  It  dried  up 
the  roots  of  the  tall  fern,  and  the  leaves  withered  and  broke  in  the 
blast.  Soon  after,  the  sun  burst  forth  in  the  heavens,  and  poured 
its  hot  rays  down  on  the  delicate  moss,  and  the  little  plant  grew 
pale  and  weak  and  faded  away.  Now  the  fern  and  the  moss  were 
alike  companions  in  grief. 

By  and  by  the  fern  slowly  raised  its  head  and  said,  "Little 
sister  moss,  I  am  sorry  I  spoke  slightingly  to  you.  Don't  you  think 
we  had  better  be  friends,  and  work  together  to  protect  ourselves 


NATURE  STUDY   MADE  EASY  99 

from  our  common  enemy,  the  fierce  winds  ?  Up  here  on  the  moun- 
tain they  blow  so  wildly." 

"Dear  fern/'  replied  the  little  moss,  "I  would  gladly  help 
you,  but  I  am  so  badly  burned  by  the  fierce  rays  of  the  sun.  You 
could  help  me,  but  what  can  a  poor  little  moss  like  me  do  for 
you?" 

"Oh,  you  can  be  of  great  service  to  me/'  replied  the  fern;  "in- 
stead of  growing  apart  from  each  other,  let  us  come  together. 
You  bring  your  velvety,  moist  leaves  to  cover  my  roots,  and  I  will 
protect  you  from  the  hot  sun  with  my  long  leaves.  Then  neither 
sun  nor  wind  can  destroy  us." 

"Gladly,"  replied  the  little  moss;  "I  believe  we  can  work  to- 
gether better  than  alone." 

"I  will  come  down  from  my  high  place  on  the  mountain  to  seek 
you,"  said  the  fern. 

"Then  I  will  come  up  from  my  nook  on  the  moorland  to  meet 
you,"  replied  the  moss. 

Then  the  fern  spread  out  her  leaves  to  protect  the  little  moss, 
and  the  moss  stretched  her  soft  green  mantle  over  the  strong  roots 
of  the  fern.  The  wind  blew,  but  the  moss  moistened  the  fern 
root,  the  hot  rays  of  the  sun  poured  down,  but  the  fern  threw 
her  shadow  over  the  meek  little  moss. 

Both  were  safe  from  wind  and  sun.  So  they  worked  and  planned 
together,  and  from  that  day  to  this,  wherever  ferns  grow  on  moun- 
tain, on  woodland,  or  on  moor,  there  you  may  find  the  mosses 
nestling  beneath. 


100  NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 

LESSON  XXXIV 

FERNS 

After  a  long  walk  on  a  hot  summer's  day,  have  you  ever  stopped 
and  rested  in  a  cool,  shady  place,  by  the  side  of  a  rippling  stream 
of  water?  Were  you  not  glad  to  rest  there? 

How  refreshing  was  the  sight  of  the  sparkling  water,  and  the 
soft  green  grass !  How  pleasant  was  the  gentle  swaying  of  the 
leaves  on  the  tall  trees.  It  rested  and  soothed  you. 

Around  you  grew  pretty  green  leaves,  and  at  your  feet  was  a 
carpet  of  cool  moss.  On  your  right  was  a  bank  overgrown  with 

lace  ferns.  The  ferns  and  mosses  know 
the  shady,  moist  places.  We  shall 
always  find  them  there. 

What  a  variety  there  is !  The  cu- 
rious hart's  tongue  juts  out  from  the 
joints  in  the  stone  wall,  the  delicate 
maidenhair  growing  in  its  shadow. 

MAIDENHAIR  FERN,  SHOWING 

FRUIT  Over  in  the  woods  yonder  is  the  hardy 

bracken  fern,  filling  the  dark  places  with  green. 

Though  they  do  not  bear  pretty,  colored  flowers,  there  are 
no  plants  we  love  better  than  ferns.  The  graceful  forms  and  deli- 
cate fronds  delight  us,  and  the  soft  green  of  their  leaves  rests  us. 
We  like  to  place  them  on  our  tables  and  about  our  homes. 

Ferns  do  not  propagate  themselves  like  beans  and  peas.     No, 


NATURE   STUDY  MADE  EASY 


101 


SPORES  ON  FRONDS 


for  on  the  back  of  each  fern  frond  is  a  number  of  tiny  dots,  brown 
in  color.  These  are  the  fruit,  or  spores,  of  the 
fern.  The  spore  is  a  hard  brown  case  con- 
taining a  tiny  bit  of  fern  sub- 
stance. When  these  spores 
are  ripe,  they  fall  on  a  damp 
place  near  the  parent  fern. 
The  tiny  bit  of  fern  substance 
begins  to  grow,  and  splits 
the  spore  case  and  pushes  through.  In  a  few  weeks  it  grows 
into  a  little  heart-shaped  scale.  Soon  fine  rootlets  appear,  and 

the  green  scale  grows  into   a   fern  plant.     It 

takes   a   long   time  to  do  this.     Sometimes  a 

year  or  two  is  required  to  bring  it  to  perfection. 
Much  of    the    early 

growth  of  a  fern  takes 

place  underground.   The 

fronds  are  snugly  packed 

in  a  little  roll,  which  you 
can  see  on  any  fern  plant.  The  frond 
slowly  unrolls,  beginning  at  the  base  of  the 
fern,  and  by  and  by  the  full  leaf  appears, 
tall  and  graceful,'  like  a  long  feather. 

Watch  one  some  day.     Notice  the  soft 
meshes  of  woolly  substance  that  protect  it. 

ROOT  OF  FERN.     FRONDS 
It  IS  niOSt  interesting.  UNROLLING 


A  FRUIT-DOT  OF  A 

FERN 
(Much  enlarged.) 


OF  "Hf- 

E 

of 


102 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


While  the  fronds  are  unrolling  above  ground,  the  underground 
stem  is  slowly  creeping  with  its  tiny  roots  under  stones  and  wood. 
It  is  searching  for  moisture  for  the  fern  plant. 

When  next  you  take  a  country  walk,  pull  up  a  fern  root.  Do 
not  break  it,  but  dig  down  carefully  all  around  it.  Bring  it  home, 
and  plant  it  in  a  cool,  moist  place.  Water  it,  watch  it,  and  see  how 
the  fronds  unroll  and  increase. 

Fern  Song 

Dance  to  the  beat  of  the  rain,  little  fern, 

And  spread  out  your  palms  again, 
And  say,  "  Though  the  sun 
Hath  my  vesture  spun, 

He  had  labored,  alas,  in  vain, 
But  for  the  shade 
That  the  cloud  hath  made, 

And  the  gift  of  the  Dew  and  the  Rain." 
Then  laugh  and  upturn 
All  your  fronds,  little  Fern, 

And  rejoice  in  the  beat  of  the  rain ! 

—  JOHN  B.  TABB. 


LESSON  XXXV 

KINDS  OF  FERNS 

There  are  hundreds  of  varieties  of  these  graceful  plants.  Would 
we  not  like  to  know  some  of  them  by  name  ?  Would  we  not  like 
to  seek  them  out  in  their  native  home?  No  plants  know  so  well 
how  to  choose  their  haunts  as  do  the  ferns. 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


103 


You  will  find  them  in  the  lonely,  remote  places  far  from  the 
noisy  crowd,  by  the  clear  brook,  in  shady  nooks,  or  seeking  shelter 
under  a  beetling  rock  or  jutting  out  from  cracks  in  the  great 
rocks. 

If  we  would  breathe  the  pure,  fresh  air  in  quiet  and  peace,  let 
us  follow  the  ferns  They  will  always  lead  us  to  the  most  beautiful 
spots. 

One  day's  holiday  in  the  woods  in  our  own  state  of  New 
York  will  show  us  from  twenty  to  thirty  varieties.  Mr.  Under- 
wood, a  lover  of  ferns,  found  thirty- 
four  different  species  in  a  radius  of 
three  miles  near  Greene's  Lake,  New 
York. 

The  Christmas  Fern,  so  called  be- 
cause it  is  green  all  winter,  all  should 
know.  It  has  large,  smooth,  glossy 

fronds.       It    grOWS    in    rocky   WOOds.  CHRISTMAS  FERN 

Early  in  April  the  Fiddleheads  push  up  their  big,  woolly  fronds, 
and  can  be  found  growing  in  our  woodlands. 

The  Oak  Fern  grows  in  cedar  swamps  and  wet  woods,  and  is 
often  found  near  the  oak  tree. 

The  Hart's  Tongue  is  easily  known.  It  has  a  simple  frond.  Its 
tall,  glossy  leaves  stand  almost  erect.  Sometimes  fifty  fronds 
grow  on  one  plant.  The  fruit  dots  run  in  a  row  on  each  side  of  the 
midrib.  They  are  rich  brown  in  color.  This  fern  grows  chiefly 
among  limestone  rocks. 


104 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


The  Spleenwort  is  a  dainty  little  fern.     You  must  all  have  seen 
it.     The  Mountain  Spleenwort  is  a  tiny  fern,  growing  in  the  crevices 


of    rocks.     It   has   strong   roots   which 
attach  themselves  to  tiny  patches  of  soil. 

The  Lady  Fern  grows  everywhere.    Have 
you  seen  it? 

"  Where  the  rushing  stream  runs  longest 
There  the  Lady  Fern  grows  strongest." 

The  fronds  uncurl  in  May,  and  are  full  grown  in  June. 
The  bright  red  stalks  stretch  up  from  the  shady  spots,  where  it 
loves  best  to  grow. 

We  must  not  forget  the  New  York  Fern.  It  is  easily  known  by 
its  short  stalk  and  tapering  frond,  and  the  round  fruit  dots,  arranged 
around  the  margins  of  the  leaflets.  It  grows  in  open  marshes  or  in 
woods  under  the  shadow  of  hemlocks  and  cedars. 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


105 


LANGUAGE  LESSON 

Let  the  teacher  bring  in  different  ferns  and  exhibit  to  pupils. 
How  many  kinds  of  ferns  do  you  know  ? 
What  is  the  name  of  the  fern  most  often  found  ? 
How  did  the  Oak  Fern  get  its  name  ? 
Tell  something  about  the  Christmas  Fern. 


LESSON  XXXVI 

LICHENS 

Lichens  are  a  kind  of  moss.  They  grow  everywhere,  on  trees, 
on  stones,  and  sometimes  on  fences.  Their  color  is  a  grayish 
green.  They  are  a  kind  of 
fungi.  They  do  not  bear  seeds 
or  flowers;  they  grow  quickly, 
and  belong  to  the  lowest  order 
of  plants.  You  can  find  them 
growing  freely  in  the  summer 
time.  Look  for  them  in  woody 
places  or  on  stone  walls  during 
your  walks  in  the  country. 
Everywhere  you  will  find  things  to  interest  you  if  you  will  use 
your  eyes.  The  gray  moss  that  reindeer  live  on  in  the  winter 
months  is  a  kind  of  lichen.  It  covers  the  ground  thickly  in  some 
cold  countries. 


LICHENS  GROWING  ON  A  ROCK 


106 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


LESSON  XXXVII 

MUSHROOMS 

Have  you  ever  noticed  in  the 
early  morning  a  funny  little  plant 
that  looks  like  a  wide-open  umbrella, 
or  a  plant  that  looks  like  an  um- 
brella partly  closed  ?  The  first  plant 
is  a  mushroom,  wholesome,  and  good 
to  eat;  the  second  is  a  toadstool 
or  poisonous  mushroom.  The  true 
CULTIVATED  MUSHROOM  mushroom  is  very  much  like  an  um- 

brella in  shape.  It  has  a  handle,  a  ring,  rays  on  the  under  side 
somewhat  like  the  spokes  of  an  umbrella,  and  it  has  a  top  or  cover. 
The  handle  is  the  stem  of  the  mushroom,  the  ring  is  the  collar; 
the  rays  are  called  the  gills  of  the  mushroom,  and  the  cover  is  called 
the  cap  of  the  mushroom.  Four  things  to  remember. 

The  gills  of  the  mushroom  spread  out  from  a  common  center 
something  like  the  spokes  of  a  wagon  wheel,  though  there  are  many 
more.  In  between  the  gills  lie  little  brown  spores  which  will  later 
produce  new  mushrooms.  These  take  the  place  of  seeds  of  other 
plants. 

When  these  spores  fall  on  rich  soil,  they  produce  fine  white 
cords  called  spawn.  This  spawn  spreads  over  the  soil,  and  draws  up 
water  and  nourishment,  just  like  a  root ;  yet  it  is  not  a  root.  From 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


107 


this  new  mushrooms  grow  very  quickly.  You  can  see  this  for 
yourself  if  you  cut  off  the  stem  of  a  full-grown  common  mushroom. 
Lay  the  cap,  gills  downward,  on  white  paper.  Let  it  lie  for  some 
hours.  Then  lift  it  up,  and  you  will  find  fine  brown  grains  like 
powder  on  the  paper.  These  are  the  spores  of  the  mushroom. 

From  these  spores  you  can  produce  new  mushrooms.  Lay  a 
number  of  them  on  good  meadow  soil.  Soon  little  white  cords 
will  appear.  This  is  the  spawn. 
This  spawn  will  spread  and 
spread  and  draw  water  and  food 
from  the  soil.  Soon  tiny  round 
bodies  will  appear  on  these 
threads.  Some  are  very  tiny, 
like  peas ;  some  grow  larger,  like 
marbles.  These  are  the  buttons,  or 
the  beginnings  of  the  mushroom. 

If  the  buttons  are  left  a  while,  a  cap  will  grow  over  them,  and 
a  big  flat  mushroom  will  result. 

Some  people  pick  the  buttons  before  they  spread  out,  and 
pickle  them  in  jars;  some  prefer  the  flat  mushrooms.  They  can 
fry  or  broil  or  stew  them. 

Some  mushrooms  shoot  up  in  a  single  night.  Most  require  only  a 
few  days  for  growth.  You  can  pass  through  a  field  one  day  and  not 
see  a  single  mushroom.  They  are  quietly  growing  out  of  sight.  The 
next  day  you  can  gather  basketfuls  in  the  same  meadow.  They 
have  come  up  in  the  night.  The  edible  mushroom,  which  grows  so 


CLUMP  OF  MUSHROOMS 


108  NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 

freely  in  meadows,  has  pink  gills  when  young,  which  turn  to  dark 
chocolate  brown  when  ripe.  It  has  a  white,  or  sometimes  a  brown, 
cap,  with  a  stem  and  ring.  Gardeners  cultivate  this  mushroom. 
It  is  much  valued  in  nearly  every  country. 

Many  mushrooms  are  poisonous,  so  we  should  not  gather  them 
without  knowing  something  about  them.  Many  of  the  poisonous 
mushrooms  have  a  cup  or  bag  around  the  lower  part  of  the  stem. 
You  should  be  sure  of  them  before  touching  them. 

One  poisonous  mushroom  has  a  cap  which  turns  into  a  black 
fluid  when  ripe.  Another  kind  of  mushroom  grows  very  large,  with 
its  cap  full  of  dust.  This  dust  is  made  of  tiny  spores.  Squeeze  it, 
and  the  spores  fly  out  in  all  directions.  It  generally  grows  on 
rotten  wood.  It  is  called  the  Puff  Ball  Mushroom. 

Another  mushroom,  called  the  Earth  Star  Mushroom ,  grows  on 
the  ground,  and  has  the  appearance  of  a  starfish.  There  are  many 
other  varieties,  all  curious  and  worth  studying. 

Mushrooms  sometimes  do  mischief.  A  certain  kind  of  mushroom 
grows  on  trees.  It  pushes  its  tiny,  threadlike  spawn  into  the 
growing  part  of  the  tree  and  sucks  up  its  nourishment.  This 
causes  the  tree  to  fail  for  want  of  food.  You  can  see  this  mush- 
room fungi  on  many  trees.  Look  for  it. 

LANGUAGE  LESSON 

What  is  a  mushroom  —  its  color  —  its  parts  ? 
Tell  about  the  spores  —  how  they  grow. 
Name  three  mushrooms  that  are  harmful. 


NATURE   STUDY  MADE  EASY  109 


The  Mushroom  and  the  Oak 

Said  the  mushroom  to  the  oak,  "  You're  very  slow ! 

I  dare  say  it's  'most  a  year 

That  you've  been  growing  here  — 
And  I  began  not  quite  two  days  ago !" 

Said  the  oak  tree,  rustling  gently,  "  That  is  true, 
Through  many  a  winter's  snow,  • 

And  many  a  summer's  glow, 

I've  watched  the  growth  of  tiny  things  like  you." 

Said  the  mushroom,  "May  I  ask  why  you're  so  big? 

You  really  seem  to  me 

As  awkward  as  can  be.  — 
I'd  rather  far  be  dainty,  wee,  and  trig." 

Said  the  oak,  "  My  little  one,  I  took  the  pains 

To  send  my  branches  high 

Up  to  the  glorious  sky 
To  welcome  both  the  sunshine  and  the  rains. 

"  I  struck  my  mighty  roots  down  deep, 

Beneath  the  frost  and  snow, 

And  while  storms  come  and  go 
They  feed  me  through  my  long,  long  winter's  sleep." 

The  mushroom  laughed  at  such  painstaking  care; 

Then  there  strolled  a  little  maid 

Beneath  the  great  oak's  shade, 
And  somehow  —  soon  —  the  mushroom  wasn't  there  ! 

G.  K. 


NOTES   OF   LESSONS 
THE   FLOWER 

CLASS  —  40  pupils. 
AGKS  —  9  to  10. 
TIMK  —  30  minutes 

f  to  teach  parts  of  flowers. 

1  •*• 


A  ¥  v*  _ 


to  cultivate  power  of  observation,  love  of  nature. 


MATTER 


I.  PARTS 


Calyx 


Forms  outer  envelope  of  flower. 
Protects  inner  parts. 
Is  composed  of  sepals  : 

1.  Divided:  buttercup. 

2.  United:  foxglove. 


SECTION  OF  FLOWER  OF  BUTTERCUP 


FLOWER  OF  BUTTERCUP 


METHOD  AND   ILLUSTRATION 

I.  (a)  Provide  each  child  with  a  com- 
mon flower  (apple  blossom,  buttercup)  iu 
bud ;  in  bloom.  Show  how  calyx  protects 
inner  part.  Have  class  notice  how  sepals 
are  arranged :  sometimes  below  flower,  as 
in  strawberry ;  sometimes  above  ovary,  as 
in  apple. 


FLOWERS  OF  THE  APPLE 


111 


112 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


(*) 

Corolla 


0) 

Stamens 


(<*) 

Pistil 


Forms     second    envelope    of 

flower. 

Protects  inner  parts. 
Attracts  insects  by  color,  form, 

scent,  etc. 
Composed  of  petals : 

1.  Separate :  rose. 

2.  United:  hyacinth. 


Composed  of 


Are  placed 


filament    or 

stalk. 

anther,  contain- 
ing pollen, 
f  under  ovary. 
I  upon  calyx. 
I  upon  petals, 
[upon  ovary. 


lower  part  of 

pistil. 

Ovary  ^  contains  ovules, 

when  ripe 
forms  fruit. 

Style  —  column  joining  stigma 

to  ovary. 
Stigma  —  sticky  substance  at 

top  of  style. 


(/>)  Examine  petals — why  colored? 
why  scented  ?  why  so  beautifully  shaped  ? 
Show  that  petals  are  differently  arranged 
in  different  flowers. 


FLOWER  OF  LILY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OPENED 

(c)  Show  how  filaments  vary  in  length 
—  important  part  the  anther.     Show  an- 
thers   and    pollen    in    lily.     Show  that 
anthers   are   inserted    differently   in  dif- 
ferent flowers. 

(d)  Important  part  of  flower  is  pistil. 
Why?    Show  how  seeds  called  ovules  are 
buried  in  ovary;  fertilized  by  pollen.    Tell 
how  pollen  sends  tube  to  stigma  and  down 
style. 

gfc I 


PLUM  BLOSSOM 

se.,  sepals;  p.,  petals;  sta.,  stamens; 
o.,  ovary  ;  s.,  style  ;  st.,  stigma. 


NATURE   STUDY  MADE  EASY 


113 


I  Regular,   of    three,  four,  or  II.    Show  a  few  perfect  flowers.     Let 

more  petals.  class  name  any  prettily  formed  flowers 

Irregular,     butterfly-shaped,  they  remember;  foxglove,  lily,  etc.    Show 

bell-shaped,  lipped,  etc.  some. 


Btigma 


[style 


COMPOUND  PISTIL  OF  ST.  JOHNSWORT 


'ovary 
PISTIL  OF  CATNIP 


SIMPLE  PISTILS  OF  BUTTERCUP 


III.  AR- 
RANGE- 
MENT 


At  end  of  stalk :  rose. 
Both  sides  of  stalk :  wistaria. 
Bunched   at    end    of  stalk: 
clover. 


III.   Ask  how  flowers  are  arranged — 
sometimes  singly,  sometimes  in  bunches. 


IV.   USES 


"Protect  inner  parts  of  plant, 

e.g.  seed  cells. 
Attract     insects     by    color, 

scent,   form. 
Add  to  beauty  of  landscape 

and  please  us. 
JJsef ul  as  drugs,  food,  etc. 


IV.  What  would  the  world  be  without 
flowers?  They  please  us  and  brighten  our 
homes.  The  petals  of  some  flowers  are 
useful,  e.g.  poppy,  camomile,  rose. 


114 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE   EASY 


LEAVES 


CLASS  —  40  pupils. 
AGES  — 9  to  10. 
TIME  —  30  minutes. 

,  to  teach  leaf. 
AIM  — 


to  cultivate  power  of  observation,  love  of  nature. 


MATTER 


,  f  Leaf  stalk  or  petiole. 

'S  |  Blade  :  thin,  flat. 


METHOD   AND   ILLUSTRATION 

I.  Let  class  bring  in  several  leaves : 
maple,  oak,  lilac.  How  many  parts  ? 
Describe  stalk :  smooth,  rough,  hairy ; 
green,  brown,  or  red.  Notice  difference 
in  color  of  upper  and  lower  surface. 
Why  are  blades  flat  ?  How  do  they  gen- 
erally hang  on  tree  or  bush?  Why? 
Why  is  sunlight  good  for  leaves  ?  What 
is  the  use  of  petioles?  Have  all  leaves 
petioles?  Name  a  leaf  that  grows 
straight  from  root. 

Apex  is  the  point  farthest  from  stem. 
Name  a  leaf  with  pointed  apex:  with 
rounded  apex.  Draw  one  of  each. 


LEAF  or  MAPLE 


f  Simple  —  One  blade. 


II.    Show  a  rose  leaf;  a  horse  chest- 


II.  KINDS]  Compound  —  Several  on    one      nut  leaf.     Let  class  compare  with  lilac. 


stem. 


When  only  one  blade  —  simple.  Name 
different  shapes:  heart-shaped,  oval, 
blade-shaped. 

Horse  chestnut  has  leaf  like  a  hand  — 
palmate. 

Rose  has  several  leaves  on  one  stem. 
Notice  margins  —  entire,  crenate,  dentate, 
etc. 


NATURE   STUDY  MADE  EASY 


115 


COMPOUND  LEAF 


PRACTICAL    WORK   AND    APPLICA- 
TION 

1.  Hold  to  light  or  paste  on  window 
pane,  a  maple  or  a  tulip  leaf.     Let  class 
notice  direction  of  veins.     Tell  them  you 
can  tell  how  many  seed  leaves  plant  has 
by  noticing  veining. 

2.  Draw   a   simple  and  a  compound 
leaf. 

3.  What  is  the  use  of  a  leaf  to  a  plant  ? 
How  many  parts  to  a  leaf?    What  is  a 
simple  leaf  ?   Name  one.    What  is  a  com- 
pound leaf  ?    Name   one.     How  do  the 
veins  run  in  a  lily  leaf  ? 


THE   PLANT 

CLASS  —  40  pupils. 
AGES  — 9  to  10. 
TIME  —  30  minutes. 

to  teach  parts  of  plants. 


AIM  — 


to  cultivate  power  of  observation,  love  of  nature. 


MATTER 


I.   ROOT 


Nature 


Use 


Part     of     plant     growing 

downward. 
Formed  of  rootlets. 
Lives  in  ground. 
To  feed  plant. 
To  hold  firmly  in  ground. 


METHOD  AND  ILLUSTRATION 

I.  Show  class  a  plant  growing  in  pot 
(one  that  can  easily  be  removed).  Let 
them  observe  the  freshness,  stiffness 
of  stem  and  leaves.  Compare  with  dead 
plant:  leaves  flabby,  colorless.  Com- 
pare with  plant  gathered  and  left  to  dry 
on  table.  What  has  happened  ?  Why  ? 
Question  class  as  to  what  holds  plant  so 
firmly  in  ground.  Pull  it  from  soil  and 
show  root,  —  fibrous  ;  compare  with  root 
of  turnip,  carrot  (which  may  also  be 
shown).  Refer  to  the  plant  left  on  table. 
Elicit  second  use  of  root. 


116 


NATURE  STUDY   MADE   EASY 


II.  STEM 
Nature 


Use  < 


Part  of  plant  growing  up- 
ward. 

Lives  in  air. 

Round,  square,  angular,  etc. 
To  hold  up  plant  to  sun. 

(leaves, 
flowers, 
seeds. 

To  convey  food  from  root 
to  leaves. 


III.  LEAVES  J  Flat,  green  bodies. 
Nature  1  Fixed  on  stem. 


Use 


air. 


To  feed  plant  with  \ 

[  water. 

To  beautify  plant. 
To  catch  sunlight. 
To  make  shade. 


II.  Suppose    all    leaves    and    flowers 
were    close    to    root,    would     plant     be 
pretty?     What   is   needed    to    hold    up 
leaves  ?     What  shape  is  the  stem  f     Are 
all  stems  so  shaped? 

Let  class  show  different  stems  they 
have  brought  in  —  some  round,  square, 
fleshy,  wooded,  etc. 

Let  class  make  collection  of  ten  differ- 
ent stems. 

III.  Which   is   the   prettiest   part    of 
plant  ?     what  color  ? 

Compare  upper  and  under  side  of  leaf. 
Let  class  show  different  leaves  brought 
in.  Of  what  use  are  leaves?  Why  do  we 
plant  trees  along  our  avenues  ?  Why  do 
cows  lie  under  leafy  trees  ?  Read  story  of 
"The  Mountain  Fern,"  or  similar  story. 

Let  class  draw  illustrations.  Collect 
and  mount  leaves. 


A  SPROUTING  PEA 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


117 


SEEDS 


CLASS  —  40  pupils. 
AGES  —  9  to  10. 
TIME  —  30  minutes. 

f  to  teach  parts  of  seeds. 


AIM  — 


[  to  cultivate  power  of  observation,  love  of  nature. 


MATTER 


J  The  ripe  ovule. 
'  {     baby  plant. 


It  contains 


METHOD  AND   ILLUSTRATION 

I.  Collect  seeds  of  bean,  pea,  melon, 
peach,  apple,  etc.  Soak  over  night  to 
soften.  Each  child  should  have  a  pin 
to  use  in  dissection.  Bean  :  color,  shape, 
size  ?  Find  scar  where  fastened  to  pod. 
Is  it  rough  or  smooth?  hard  or  soft? 
Let  class  draw  shape  of  bean.  With  pin 
carefully  raise  skin.  Do  not  injure  baby 
plant  inside.  How  many  coats  ?  Notice 
little  plant  within.  If  planted,  baby 
would  feed  on  thick  coat,  or  cotyledon, 
and  send  up  into  air  a  plumule,  or  stem 
with  two  leaves  ;  and  send  down  radicle, 
or  root,  into  earth. 


PEA,  BEAN,  AND  WHEAT  SPROUTING 


118 


NATURE   STUDY   MADE  EASY 


II.  KINDS  < 


Two  cotyledons  —  pea. 
One  cotyledon  —  grass. 
Small  round  —  pea. 
Long  broad  —  bean. 
Hairy  —  dandelion. 
Silky  —  milkweed. 
Winged  —  maple. 
Hooked  —  chestnut  bur. 


II.  Now  open  pea;  compare  with  bean, 
melon,  etc.  Plant  lima  beans  (a)  in  wet 
cotton ;  (6)  in  earth ;  (c)  in  sand.  Let 
class  observe  growth  and  find  essentials. 
Compare  bean  with  wheat  seed  —  only 
one  cotyledon.  Plant  wheat  and  observe. 
Show  maple  seed,  chestnut  bur. 


MAPLE  SEED 


III.  USES 


To  reproduce  plants. 

As  food  —  bean,  pea,  straw- 
berry. 

As  medicine  —  poppy. 

As  clothing  —  flax,  woolly 
hairs  of  cotton  seed. 


III.  Use  of  wings,  hairs,  hooks?  (To 
scatter  seeds.)  Most  tropical  plants  have 
one  seed  leaf. 

If  a  plant  has  no  seed,  what  result? 
Mention  some  seeds  we  can  eat.  Show 
cotton  seed  inclosed  in  woolly  hairs. 
Make  Drawings. 


WINDBLOWN  FRUITS  or  DANDELION 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


119 


THE   SWEET  PEA 


CLASS  —  40  pupils. 
AGES  —  9  to  10. 
TIME  —  30  minutes. 


AIM 


(to  teach  parts  of  flower  of  sweet  pea. 
to  cultivate  power  of  observation,  love  of  nature. 


MATTER 


{Twining,  dotted  with  lighter 
green,  smooth,  round,  cov- 
ered with  buds. 


METHOD   AND   ILLUSTRATION 

I.  Provide  each  child  with  a  single 
flower.  Provide  teacher  with  a  larger 
portion,  showing  stem.  Let  children 
discover  characteristics.  Speak  of  rapid 
growth,  shown  by  nodes.  Show  leaf 
scars. 


SINGLE  FLOWER  OF  PEA 
S.,  standard;  w.,  wings;  k.,  keel. 


,,   ,.  J  Compound,    pinnate,    stipu-          II.   Let  class  examine  leaf.     Why  com- 

{     late,  alternate,  net-veined.      pound?     Compare  other  pinnate  leaves — 

wistaria,  etc.     Show  stipules.    Wha 


OF 


120 


NATURE   STUDY   MADE   EASY 


("Composed  of   five  irregular          III.   Now  pull  off  calyx ;  notice  septals 
III.  CALYX]      sepals — green, cup-shaped,      form  a  cup  to  hold  flower, 
sharply  toothed. 


IV.  Co-       |  Composed  of  five  irregular 
ROLLA     1     petals  —  butterfly-shaped. 


IV.  Pull  off  petals  carefully;  lay  on 
desk;  standard — two  wings  and  keel. 
Let  class  notice  resemblance  to  butterfly. 
Think  of  similar  flowers. 


V.  STA- 
MENS 


Ten :  nine  united  by  fila- 
ments, one  alone,  inserted 
on  corolla. 


V.   Notice  arrangement  of  stamens  — 
unlike  any  other  flower. 


VI.  PISTIL 


Ovary  —  a    legume    or   pod, 

arranged  like  a  pea  pod. 
Style  —  long  and  slender. 
Stigma  —  round  and  sticky. 


VI.  Ovary  is  a  legume,  like  pea.  Tell 
class,  when  seeds  are  ripe,  pod  bursts 
with  loud  report  and  seeds  are  scattered 
everywhere. 


This  plant  belongs  to 

I.  Class. 

Dicotyledons  —  having  net- veined 
leaves  and  flowers  in  fives. 

II.  Order. 

Legume  —  having  seeds  in  a  leg- 
ume; butterfly-shaped  flowers. 
Nine  long,  connected  stamens. 


Many  useful  plants  in  this  order: 

Food  plants  —  Beans,  peas,  peanuts, 
lentils,  clover. 

Drug  plants —  Licorice,  logwood,  senna, 
indigo,  gum  arabic. 

Timber  plants  —  Locust,  honey  locust, 
rosewood. 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


121 


STEMS 


CLASS  —  40  pupils. 
AGES  — 9  to  10. 
TIME  —  30  minutes. 


AIM 


(to  cultivate  power  of  observation,  love  of  nature, 
to 


teach  method  of  stem  growth. 


OBSERVATION  AND   ILLUSTRATION 

I.  Show  any  plant  with  erect  stem, 
e.g.  geranium.  Elicit  reason  for  its 
position. 

Notice  texture,  whether  herbaceous  or 
woody. 

Show  potato ;  show  eye,  will  produce 
leaf  bud ;  hence,  potato  tuber  is  under- 
ground stem  full  of  nourishment  for  young 
plant  of  next  season. 

Show  Solomon's  seal  —  not  root  but 
underground  stem. 


II.  Compare  erect  stem  of  geranium 
with  creeping  stem  of  strawberry.  Why 
does  it  creep  ?  What  is  the  use  of  run- 
ners? A  method  of  propagating  plant. 
Strawberry,  or  strayberry,  strays  and 
creeps  along  ground. 

Show  honeysuckle  and  convolvulus. 
Elicit  the  fact  that  these  plants  climb  by 
means  of  steins,  twining  around  any  sup- 
port they  meet.  Show  how  plants  of  a 
kind  coil  alike  :  in  same  direction,  left 
to  right ;  others  in  opposite  direction 
right  to  left.  Ivy  always  twines  from 
left  to  right. 


I.   USE 


INFERENCE 

To  hold  plant  to  air  or  light. 
To  carry  food  from  the  root  to 
produce  buds. 


II.  MAN- 
NER OF 
GROWTH 


Erect. 

Creeping. 

Twining. 

!by  tendrils,  e.g.  pea. 
by  rootlets,  e.g.  ivy. 
by  thorns,  e.g.  wild 
rose. 
Underground. 


122 


NATURE  STUDY   MADE  EASY 


Plants  climb  by  means  of  tendrils,  or 
little  stems  thrown  out  for  that  purpose. 
Show  common  pea  plant. 

Some  plants  climb  by  means  of  rootlets, 
which  run  into  any  hole  or  crevice  where 
they  may  root  and  get  support.  Ivy 
climbs  by  roots.  Show  Virginia  creepers 
with  little  cushions  on  end  of  tendrils. 

Some  plants  climb  by  thorns,  like  the 
wild  rose. 

Wild  rose  has  thorns  which  catch  on 
neighboring  plants  that  hold  it  up  to  sun 
and  light. 

Have  children  notice  hairs  on  stem. 
What  are  they?  Use  ?  Thorns  or  prickles 
on  stem.  Use?  (Protection  against  in- 
sects, animals.) 

Elicit  use  of  stem  and  plant. 

III.  Show  how  rootlets  feed  roots, 
which  send  sap  to  leaves  through  stem. 
How  are  leaves  held  up  to  sun  and  air? 
Why  should  they  be  so  held  up  ? 

Value  of  stem  of  plant  to  man.  Think 
of  sugar  cane.  Show  cane;  dried  sap  of 
sugar  palm.  Show  maple  syrup  drawn 
from  stem  of  maple  tree.  Camphor  from 
stem  of  camphor  tree  of  Japan.  Quinine 
from  stem  of  cinchona. 

Strong  saps  obtained  from  trunks  of 
trees — tar  and  turpentine  from  pine  tree ; 
cork  from  bark  of  cork  trees ;  flax  from 
flax  plant;  rubber,  gums,  resins,  from 
various  trees. 

Stems  vary  in  shape.  Stems  of  plants 
generally  round. 

Show  stem  of  mint  plant  (angular). 

Show  stem  of  sweet  pea. 


STEM  OF  NIGHTSHADE 


III.  USE 
OF  STEM 
(a)  To  plant  « 


(b)   To  man 


Holds  plant  to  light. 

Holds  plant  to  air. 

Carries  sap  from  roots. 

Produces  leaf  buds. 

Food. 

Medicines. 

Manufactures. 


STEM  OF  WALLFLOWER          STEM  OF  ROSE 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


123 


APPLICATION 

Mention  a  plant  that  climbs  by  its 
tendrils. 

Mention  a  plant  that  climbs  by  its 
roots. 

Mention  a  plant  that  climbs  by  its 
thorns. 

Difference  between  a  climbing  and  a 
twining  stein. 

What  plant  has  a  prostrate  or  creeping 
stem  ?  Tell  about  it. 

What  use  do  we  make  of  underground 
stems  ? 


STEM  OF  SWEET  PEA 


NEEDS   OF   PLANTS 

CLASS  —  40  pupils. 
AGKS  — 9  to  11. 
TIME  —  30  minutes. 

f  to  cultivate  power  of  observation. 
AIM  —  <  to  cultivate  interest  in  nature. 

[to  teach  needs  of  plants. 


OBSERVATION 

I.  Place  two  beans,  two  peas,  two 
almond  seeds,  which  you  intend  to  germi- 
nate, in  pots,  the  soil  being  alike  in  all  the 
pots.  Put  one  lot  one  inch  underground  in 
darkness.  Put  other  lot  above  ground,  in 
bright  light.  At  intervals  of  a  day  or  two, 
note  growth.  It  will  be  found  that  seeds 
buried  in  darkness  have  germinated  while 
those  exposed  have  merely  swollen.  Let 


INFERENCE 
f  Moisture. 


I.     GERMINA-  ,  containing   oxygen, 

TING  PLANTS  J 

NEED 


I  Darkness. 
[Warmth. 


124 


NATURE  STUDY   MADE  EASY 


class    discover   cause.      Darkness  +  heat 
+  moisture  are  necessary  to  germination. 

II.  Bring    into  room    two   cut   flower 
stalks   with  leaves  —  geranium    or    bean 
seedlings.     Place  one  in  glass  of  water. 
Let  other  lie  on  desk.     At  end  of   hour 
compare.       Draw    from    class    cause    of 
wilted  condition.     Same  conditions  occur 
when  plant  is  grown  in  dark  cellar.     Re- 
fer to  potato  budding  (buds  white)  ;  white 
stems  of  celery.    (Show  celery  and  potato.) 
Hence,  light  and  heat  necessary  to  form 
green  coloring  matter  in  plants.     Refer 
to  loss  of  green  in  leaves  in  Fall,  when 
sun's  rays  grow  weaker.     What  happens 
when    plants    are    not    watered?    when 
grown  in  darkness  ?     Why  do  they  die  ? 

III.  Food   of  two   kinds,    liquid    and 
gaseous.      Ask     class     how    obtained  — 
from    soil,     through     roots.      Show    by 
illustration   how   roots   draw   up   water. 
Show  how  water  in  soil  dissolves   min- 
erals   (refer   to   sugar  in  tea)    through 
which  it  passes  and  feeds  plant  with  this 
enriched   moisture.      Hence,  wheat  con- 
tains   potash.      Show    mineral    solution. 
Many  plants  contain  iron.     All  get  am- 
monia through  rain  water. 

Gaseous  food  obtained  from  airthrough 
leaves  and  stem. 

Explain  how  under  influence  of  light 
and  heat  plants  make  starch  on  which 
they  live. 

Explain  work  of  leaves  by  day,  breath- 
ing in  gaseous  food  from  atmosphere, 
and  breathing  out  different  substances  at 
night.  Show  stomates  or  breathing  pores 
of  leaf.  Illustrate  by  immersing  a  leaf 
in  water. 


II.   GROWING 
PLANTS 
NEED 


(Moisture. 
Air. 
Light. 

Which  give 


Gaseous  J 


\  food. 


III.     HOW    OB- 
TAINED 


[Moisture  from  rain  and 

soil  through  roots. 
Air      from      atmosphere 

through      leaves     and 

stems. 
Light    from    atmosphere 

through     leaves      and 

stems. 
Warmth  from  atmosphere 

through      leaves      and 

stems. 


STOMATES  OK  BREATHING  PORES  OF  LEAP 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


125 


See  bubbles  of  oxygen  given  off  by  leaves 
while  making  starch.  Deduce  from  class 
necessity  of  air  to  furnish  these  gases 
and  of  light  and  of  warmth  to  change 
them  so  as  to  be  of  use  to  plant. 

Hours  could  be  spent  on  the  subject  of 
"  Needs  of  Plants."  The  above  will  be 
sufficient  as  an  introduction.  Encourage 
children  to  try  experiments  for  them- 
selves. 

APPLICATION 

What  things  do  plants  require  for  ger- 
mination ? 

How  does  the  plant  get  food? 

In  what  form  does  the  plant  take  in 
food? 


PROPAGATION  OF  PLANTS  BY  SEEDS 

CLASS  —  40  pupils. 
AGES  — 9  to  11. 
TIME  —  30  minutes. 

fto  cultivate  observation. 
AIM  —  -I  to  train  reasoning  powers. 

[to  teach  growth  of  plants  from  seeds. 


OBSERVATION   OR   METHOD 

I.  Plant  beans  or  peas  in  soil.  Watch 
growth.  Plant  mustard  seed,  bird  seed, 
wheat  seed,  on  wet  sponge  or  moist 
sawdust;  watch  results.  Encourage 
pupils  to  plant  seeds  in  school  or  home 
gardens,  —  nasturtium,  morning  glory,  or 
any  annual,  —  and  note  results. 

Cut  up  a  few  sheets  of  paper  and  make 
note  books,  with  paper  covers.  Provide 
each  child  with  a  note  book  and  let  pupils 
make  reports  on  progress  of  plant  growth. 

Draw  inference  that  most  herbaceous 
plants  grow  quickly  from  seed. 


INFERENCES   OR  FACTS 

fThe  fruit  of  the  plant. 
I.  NATURE      I  The  baby  plant  and  food. 
OF  SEED      I  The  germ  of  new  plant. 
[Reproduction  of  species. 


GERMINATION  OF  PEAS 


126 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


II.  Soak  beans  over  night.  Give  one 
to  each  pupil  with  pin  for  dissection. 
What  is  bean  ?  color  ?  shape  ?  size  ? 

Find  scar  where  fastened  to  pod.  Is 
it  rough  or  smooth?  hard  or  soft?  Find 
little  hole  where  pollen  tube  entered. 


Put  pin  in.  With  pin  carefully  raise 
skin.  Is  it  thin  or  tough?  How  many 
seed  leaves?  Are  they  thick  or  thin? 
Why? 

Do  not  injure  baby  plant.  How  many 
parts  has  it?  radicle  or  root,  plumule  or 
stem  ?  Plant  it.  Watch  it. 


III.  Radicle  goes  down.  Plumule 
grows  up.  Why  two  leaves?  Plant 
(a)  in  earth ;  (&)  in  cotton ;  (c)  in  sand. 
Compare  growth. 

Compare  bean  with  wheat  seed. 

Wheat  has  only  one  cotyledon. 

Plant  wheat  and  compare  growth. 

Most  tropical  plants  have  only  one 
seed  leaf. 

APPLICATION 

What  is  a  seed? 

Describe  a  bean  seed. 

How  does  a  bean  germinate  and  grow  ? 

Draw  a  picture  of  a  bean  seed. 

Draw  a  bean  seedling. 


II.  PARTS 


Scar  by  which  it  was  at- 
tached to  pod. 

Micropyle,  or  gate,  en- 
trance for  pollen. 

Cotyledons,  or  seed  leaves 
with  thick  skin. 

Baby  plant  with  plumule 
and  radicle. 


III.   GERMI- 
NATION 


Place  in        f  heat ; 

favorable  \  moisture ; 

condition  [air; 
Bean  swells    and   bursts 

outer  coat ; 
Plumule  goes  up  into  air 

to  hold  leaves; 
Radicle  goes  down  into 

ground  to  seek  food  for 

young  plant. 
Two    tiny    green    leaves 

appear  and  plant  begins 

independent  growth. 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


127 


PROPAGATION    BY   RUNNERS 

CLASS  —  40  pupils. 
AGE  — 9  to  11. 
TIME  —  30  minutes. 

{to  cultivate  power  of  observation,  love  of  nature, 
to  train  reason  and  judgment, 
to  teach  propagation  of  plants  by  runners. 


OBSERVATION.       METHOD.       ILLUS- 
TRATION 

Ask  pupils  to  visit 
a  strawberry  bed  and 
report  what  they  have 
seen  —  the  plant,  the 
fruit,  the  white  run- 
ners. Or  grow  plant 
in  a  box  on  class-room 
window.  Ask  pupils 
to  examine  wild 
strawberry  bed. 
Watch  growth.  Re- 
port observation. 


INFERENCES 

rSmall  shoots  sent  out  by 

strawberry. 
Run  along  ground  for  a 

distance. 

WHAT     ARE    I  Known  by  pale  green  ap- 
RUNNERS?    I      pearance. 

Push     end      downwards 

into  soil. 

Root,  then  send  up  new 
plant. 


Some  days  later  (when  interest  is  awak- 
ened) bring  into  class,  or  have  pupil  bring 
in,  a  strawberry  plant.  (Easily  obtained 
from  florist.)  Show  how  plant  grows  with 
leaves  and  fruit  closely  packed  together. 
Show  runners  thrown  out  by  plant.  Ex- 
plain that  these  spread  out  until  they  find 
a  suitable  place,  when  they  root  and  throw 
out  new  leaves  and  flowers,  and  become 
plant.  (Draw  while  talking  and  show 
runners  rooting.) 


VALUE     OF 
RUNNER 


Of   no    value   to   parent 

plant. 
At  first  draws  sap  from 

parent  plant. 
Are  cut  off  by  gardener. 
At  end  of  season  a  few 

left  to  root. 
After  rooting  removed  to 

make  new  plants. 
Grow  quicker  than  from 

seed. 
Produce  healthier  plants. 


128 


NATURE   STUDY  MADE  EASY 


STRAWBERRY  PLANT 


In  cultivated  plants  gardeners  cut  off 
these  runners.  Why?  At  Fall  of  year, 
when  fruit  is  ripe,  these  runners  are 
allowed  to  root.  Why?  Then  carried 
off  as  young  plants  to  make  new  straw- 
berry beds.  These  blossom  and  fruit 
the  following  year  and  produce  strong, 
healthy  plants  like  the  parent  plant. 

Plants  grow  quicker  from  runners  than 
from  seed.  Gardeners  take  advantage  of 
this  and  plant  them. 


PRACTICAL   WORK  AND  APPLICA- 
TION 

1.  Let  class  make  drawings  and  observe 
growth  when  opportunity  occurs,  either 
in  class  room  or  at  home. 

2.  What  is  a  runner? 

Mention   a  plant  that  propagates  by 
runners. 

How  does  a  runner  produce  new  plants  ? 
What  is  the  use  of  a  runner  to  a  plant  ? 
Why  does  the  gardener  plant  runners  ? 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


129 


PROPAGATION   BY  SLIPS 

CLASS  —  40  pupils. 
AGE  — 9  to  11. 
TIME  —  30  minutes. 

fto  cultivate  power  of  observation,  love  of  nature. 
AIM  — -j  to  train  judgment  and  reasoning  powers. 

I  to  teach  propagation  of  plants  by  slips. 


INFERENCE.    MATTER 


I.  NATURE 
OF  SLIP 


II.   WHY 

MADE 


A  young  plant  or  shoot  grow- 
ing on  healthy  plant. 

Must  have  healthy  growth 
layer. 

Should  be  cut  from  plant  in 
early  Fall. 

{Because  growth  more  rapid 
than  from  seed. 
Because      growth    produces 
same  plant.  I 

warmth. 

III.    PREP- |  Plant    in    pre-    moisture. 
ARATION!     pared  soil  in   air. 

darkness. 


OBSERVATION.     METHOD 

I.  Bring  into  class  room  (or  better, 
have  pupil  bring)  a  healthy  geranium 
plant.  (They  can  be  had  for  asking  in 
public  parks  in  September.)  Show  entire 
plant  —  strong,  fibrous  roots;  thick,  her- 
baceous stems ;  broad,  green  leaves. 

II.  Have  ready  three  or  more  flower- 
pots. Turn  over  pot  and  let  class  observe 
hole  in  bottom.  Why?  Have  pupils 
throw  in  some  pieces  of  glass  or  pottery 
to  make  drainage.  Why?  Partly  fill 
with  fine  prepared  soil. 

in.  Choose  a  small  healthy-looking 
shoot.  Slip  it,  or  cut  off  obliquely. 
Why?  Let  pupils  drill  hole  with  round 
stick.  Why?  Now  put  in  slip.  Press 
soil  tightly  but  gently  round  slip.  Why  ? 
Carefully  moisten  with  water.  Fill  in  re- 
mainder of  soil.  Do  not  fill  to  brim  of 
pot.  Why?  Cut  off  lower  leaves.  WThy? 
Slip  is  now  ready  for  growth.  Where 
shall  we  put  it?  Why  not  put  in  light? 
Why  not  in  cold? 


GERANIUM  SLIP 


130 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


IV.  How 

IT  GROWS 


Cut  off  lower  leaves  to  stay 

evaporation. 
Slip    forms    rootlets    which 

feed  plant. 
Leaves  will   form   and   new 

plant  grow  for  springtime. 


ROSE  CUTTING 


IV.  Examine  frequently ;  water  occa- 
sionally. 

Look  for  new  leaves  in  week  or  two. 

N.B.  It  is  well  to  plant  several  slips 
and  compare  growth. 

Let  pupils  cut  off  remaining  slips  and 
plant  them.  Put  all  these  cuttings  where 
they  can  have  warmth,  air,  moisture. 
Compare  results. 

Encourage  pupils  to  do  same  thing  in 
their  homes. 

Let  pupils  find  out  what  other  plants 
are  propagated  by  slips  rather  than  by 
seeds.  (Honeysuckle,  chrysanthemum, 
rose,  begonia.)  Why  ? 

Cut  off  a  slip  and  plant  in  water.  Com- 
pare progress. 

Hang  up  near  window,  where  class  may 
watch  and  note  growth  of  roots.  Com- 
pare with  slips  planted  in  soil. 

APPLICATION 

Name  a  plant  often  produced  from 
slips. 

What  is  a  slip  ? 

Why  are  slips  planted  ? 

How  does  it  take  root,  and  grow  ? 

Describe  the  growth  of  a  slip  you  have 
seen  planted,  or  one  you  have  planted 
yourself. 


THE  SLIP  GROWING 


NATURE  STUDY   MADE  EASY 


131 


I.   PARTS 


FERNS 

CLASS  —  40  pupils. 
AGE—  9  to  11. 
TIME  —  30  minutes. 

{to  cultivate  child's  power  of  observation, 
to  interest  in  nature  study, 
to  give  simple  knowledge  of  ferns. 


MATTER 


Fronds,  or  outspread  leaves. 

Spores,  on  underside  of 
leaves. 

Rhizome,  or  underground 
stem. 

Rootlets,  attached  to  rhi- 
zome. 


II.   COLOR 


ROOT  OF  FERN 

When  young — light  green. 
When  older  —  darker  green. 
Sometimes  variegated. 
Midrib  —  glossy  brown. 


METHOD   AND   ILLUSTRATION 

I.  Let  teacher  bring,  or  have  brought  to 
room,  several  growing  ferns  in  pots.  Let 
children  notice  long  spreading  leaves  — 
brown  stem  holding  tiny  leaflets  ;  teach 
name  —  a  frond. 

Let  class  note  full-grown  frond.  Let 
them  notice  unrolled  frond.  Notice  tiny 
hairs  on  each  when  in  roll.  Why  ?  (To 
protect  from  cold.)  Turn  over  leaf  and 
notice  brown  spots  below.  What  are 
they?  Notice  fern  has  no  flower,  hence 
fronds  must  produce  seeds.  Tell  class 
they  are  not  real  seeds,  but  will  by  and 
by  make  a  sort  of  seed.  They  are  there- 
fore inferior  to  flowering  plants. 

Now  show  a  bracken  fern  —  the  whole 
plant.  Let  class  notice  the  strong  under- 
ground stem  or  rhizome.  Explain  how 
it  pushes  its  way  underground.  Show 
little  root  hairs. 


II.  Compare  color  of  fern  with  flower- 
ing plant;  frond  always  green.  Some, 
like  maidenhair,  are  of  a  delicate  green. 
All  become  darker  green  after  attaining 
full  growth.  Show  midrib. 


132 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


III.   SPORES 


Spore  in  spore  case  con- 
tains germ  of  new  fern; 
produces  fern  prothal- 
lium  ;  gives  birth  to  em- 
bryo fern  plant. 


Germinate 

or 
on 

[rotting  wood. 

Produce  new  fern. 
Inferior  to  a  seed. 


«^— ^ 

SPORES  ON  FRONDS 

IV.  PRACTICAL  WORK  OR  APPLICATION 


III.  Provide  each  child  with  a  frond 
and  let  the  pupils  cut  off  spore  cases  and 
examine  them.  Each  spore  case  contains 
many  tiny  spores.  Spores  ripen  and  fern 
substance  pushes  through  —  grows  into 
tiny  heart-shaped  bit  of  tissue.  (Draw  on 
blackboard.) 

Young  fern  grows  from  a  proihallium. 

Explain  briefly  formation  of  embryo 
fern.  One  leaf  rises  above  ground,  while 
root  strikes  down  into  soil. 

Gardeners  raise  thousands  of  these 
plants  from  spores  yearly. 

Show  tiny  ferns  thus  grown.  Compare 
arrangement  of  spores  of  maidenhair 
with  spores  of  bracken.  Show  both. 
Note  same  on  edge  of  leaflet  —  others 
along  midrib. 


PROTHALLUS  OF  FERN 

IV.  1.  Let  children  gather  fronds. 
Compare  setting  of  spores.  Press  and 
draw  fronds. 

These  ferns  can  easily  be  found  by 
children  in  near-by  woods.  I  have  never 
had  any  difficulty  in  getting  pupils  to 
bring  specimens. 

2.  Have  class  visit  fernery  in  Botanical 
Gardens  at  Prospect  Park  or  Bronx  Park 
and  write  about  what  they  have  seen. 


NATURE   STUDY   MADE   EASY 


133 


MOSSES 

CLASS  —  40  pupils. 
AGE  —  9  to  10. 
TIME  —  30  minutes. 

{to  train  observation, 
to  cultivate  reasoning  powers, 
to  give  elementary  knowledge  of  mosses. 


OBSERVATION 


I.  Let  teacher  or  pupils  bring  into  room 
any  mosses  which  they  have  gathered  in 
the  woods,  or  on  decayed  stumps.  Hold 
up  to  light,  and  notice  tiny  leaves,  some- 
what shape  of  fern  fronds.  Note  tiny 
stein.  Observe  how  tightly  and  closely 
the  roots  are  matted. 

Tell  children  mosses  cling  to  rocks 
more  closely  than  oak  roots  to  the  soil. 
Show  how  this  is  an  advantage  to  places 
they  cover.  Roots  require  little  soil  and 
grow  rapidly.  Mosses  are  one  of  the  sim- 
iles t  forms  of  plant  life. 


I.   PARTS 


INFERENCES 

Leaves — tiny. 

Stem  — short. 

No  seeds  —  but  spores  in 
capsule. 

No  flowers. 

Roots  —  fibrous,     tena- 
cious. 


Moss  CAPSULE  SHEDDING  SPORES 


134 


NATURE  STUDY  MADE  EASY 


III.  SPORES 


IT.  Compare  club  moss  (of  delicate 
green)  with  bearded  earth  moss  (white  on  II.  COLOR 
account  of  white  hairs  or  leaflets).  Bog 
moss  of  Ireland  is  a  grayish  green.  Color 
varies  from  gray  green  to  reddish  green. 
Encourage  children  to  collect  and  com- 
pare mosses.  Over  3000  species  are 
known. 

III.  Bring  in  a  mat  of  moss  in  fruit. 
Note   little    stalks    rising    from    leafy 

stem. 

Provide  each  child  with  one.  What 
do  they  bear  aloft  ? 

Raise  pointed  hood. 

Observe  capsule.     Raise  with  pin. 

Notice  tiny  teeth  on  edge.  Empty  cap- 
sule, and  grains  of  dust  will  fall.  These  are 
moss  spores.  Plant  on  damp  ground  and 
watch  for  threadlike  growth,  like  scum. 
From  this  will  arise  a  new  moss  plant. 

Draw  attention  to  greenish  scum  chil- 
dren have  noticed  on  tree  trunks.     These      IV.   GROWTH 
are  young  mosses. 

IV.  Elicit    from    class    places    where 
mosses  grow.     Why  do  they  choose  damp 
soil?    why  barren    rocks?      (Little    soil 
needed  —  simple  nature  of  plants.) 

V.  Draw  from  class  what  becomes  of 
dead  moss.     Compare  with  fallen  leaves 
in  autumn. 

Show  how  mosses  fertilize  barren  places.  V.  USES 
Show  how  their  tenacious  roots  hold  to- 
gether rocks  and  stones,  and  prevent 
crumbling.  Tell  of  the  bog  mosses  of 
Scotland  and  Ireland.  Tell  of  Arctic 
moss.  Show  how  they  absorb  rain,  and 
prevent  floods,  and  how  they  give  off  rain 
and  prevent  drought. 


r  Delicate      green  —  when 

j     young. 

[Dark  green  —  when  old. 


in      capsule, 
on    summit    of 


Contained 

raised 

stem. 
When   ripe,   fall  out    as 

tiny  grain. 

Feed  on  damp  ground. 
Produce   tiny   threadlike 

plant  buds. 
Buds  grow  into  new  moss 

stem. 


"On  moist,  damp  ground. 
On  old  tree  trunks. 
On  roots  of  ferns. 
In  cracks  in  old  walls. 

To  make  soil  and  in  time 
give  rise  to  higher 
forms  of  plant  life. 

To  bind  together  rocks 
and  stones  and  preserve 
from  frost. 

To  soak  in  rain  and  pre- 
vent floods. 

To  protect  roots  of  plants 
and  trees. 

To  furnish  food  for  rein- 
deer. 

In  some  countries  used 
for  fuel,  e.g.  peat  and 
bog  moss. 


NATURE   STUDY   MADE  EASY 


135 


VI.  PRACTICAL  WORK  AND  APPLICATION 


VI.  1.  Let  class  collect  and  press  moss. 
Let  class  make  drawings  of  any  part  of 
moss  plant. 

While  describing  evolution  of  spore, 
make  drawings  (no  matter  how  simple) 
on  blackboard.  Interest  is  maintained. 

2.  Visit  gardens  in  public  parks,  e.g. 
Prospect  Park,  Bronx  Park,  and  find 
wonderful  collection  of  mosses. 


MUSHROOMS 

CLASS  —  40  pupils. 
AGE  —  9  to  10. 
TIME  —  30  minutes. 

to  cultivate  power  of  observation. 

to  interest  in  lowly  things  in  nature. 

to  give  elementary  knowledge  of  mushroom 
growth. 


AIM  — 


INFERENCES 


I.  PARTS 


II.   COLOR 


Head,  or  top,  smooth. 
Gills,   running   like    rays 

from  stem. 
Ring,  at  base  of  gills. 
Stem,  thick,   short,  solid, 

white,  smooth,  leafless. 

Varies     from     white     to 

brown  to  black. 
In    common    mushrooms 

gills  turn  from  pink  to 

dark  brown. 
Stem  —  white     or    light 

brown. 


OBSERVATION   AND   ILLUSTRATION 

I.  Bring  into  class  room  (or  better  take 
class  to  wood,  where  they  can  study  nat- 
urally)   several    common    mushrooms  — 
full-grown  ;  also  some  buttons.     Provide, 
if  possible,  each  scholar  with  a  mushroom. 
Note  odor.     Pass  finger  along  top  of  stem. 
Note  smoothness. 

II.  Note  color,  texture,  surface,  length. 
Exami  ne  gills.   Note  color  in  young  mush- 
rooms ;  in  old  mushrooms.    Examine  ring. 
Why  is  mushroom  so  light  ?  so  soft  ?  Note 
absence  of  leaves,  flowers,  seeds.     Mush- 
room belongs  to  lowest  order  of  plants. 
Flowerless,    seedless.       Tell    about    ink 
mushroom,  about  edible  and  poisonous 
mushrooms. 


136 


NATURE  STUDY   MADE  EASY 


III.   SPORES 


Found  in  gills  of  mush- 
rooms. 

When  ripe,  fall  out  like 
grains  of  powder. 

Feed  on  damp  soil,  and 
produce  spawn. 

Spawn  spreads  and  feeds 
on  water. 

Tiny  buttons  develop. 

Button  grows  rapidly  into 
mushroom. 

Simplest  form  of  plant 
life. 


III.  Lay  a  ripe  mushroom  on  a  sheet  oi 
paper.  Shake  out  spores,  brown,  or  black, 
or  white.  Compare  with  spores  of  fern 
and  moss.  No  seeds.  If  spores  are 
placed  on  suitable  soil,  will  produc- 
strings  of  white  cord  called  spawn.  Spawn 
spreads  and  feeds  and  takes  up  water 
like  a  root;  is  long  time  developing. 
Compare  root  of  bean  with  spawn.  Show 
difference  in  germination.  Look  for  but- 
tons on  spawn.  Show  buttons  to  class. 
Tell  the  class  these  are  beginnings  of  new 
mushrooms.  Have  class  look  for  spawn 
in  woods,  or  on  decayed  trunks  of  trees. 
Tell  how  fungus  spawn  often  destroys 
trees. 

Warn  pupils  against  indiscriminate 
gathering  of  mushrooms.  Tell  of  rapid 
growth  from  button.  Full-grown  mush- 
rooms can  develop  in  one  night. 

In  some  countries  considered  a  delicacy. 

Many  persons  earn  livelihood  cultiva- 
ting mushrooms. 

PRACTICAL    WORK    AND    APPLICA- 
TION 

Encourage  pupils  to  visit  a  mushroom 
gardener  and  watch  growth. 

Describe  the  growth  of  a  mushroom 
from  a  spore. 

What  is  a  mushroom  button? 

Describe  a  mushroom  —  the  head,  gills, 
ring,  stem. 

Are  all  mushrooms  edible  ?  Which 
are  not? 

For  what  purpose  are  mushrooms 
grown? 


PIONEER  HISTORY  SERIES 

By  CHARLES  A.  McMURRY 

Designed  as  a  complete  series  of  early  history  stories  of  the  Eastern, 
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Pioneers  on  Land  and  Sea 

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SELECTED  AND  ANNOTATED   BY 

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IN   FOUR  VOLUMES.     ILLUSTRATED 


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